Safety concerns remain a huge issue at the Monroe County jail as it enters a major hiring process.
The prison in Snydersville is currently down 17 officers and two supervisors recently retired.
Current Monroe County Corrections Officers believe the next decision can either make or break the facility.
It comes as they continue to call out the administration to do more when it comes to their safety.
"This binder that I have here that probably has 100 pages in it, are just the Facebook posts from one specific sergeant that are all racist, they glorify drugs, they glorify gang members, they promote violence."
We’re told that’s the culture at the Monroe County jail that needs to change. Corrections Officer Don Kubik addressed the prison board today asking them to take a hard look at who’s going to be promoted to take over two vacant supervisor positions.
Kubik says, "There’s a lot of issues going on, outside investigations by the DA’s office. Some of the people that are up on the running to be promoted are part of the problem."
He also requests better hiring practices as they look for candidates to fill 17 correction officer positions.
Kubik says, "It could either head us in the right direction or it can continue us down the bad path. I mean just last week I was working at intake, there was a girl that came in that got arrested for a domestic and she openly told me that she got fired from Northampton County for falling in love with an inmate. But then she told me our HR lady called her for an interview."
The warden explains everyone is able to start the hiring process, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be selected.
Monroe County Correctional Facility Warden Garry Haidle says, "We follow all the guidelines in the hiring process. We have testing, we have background checks for people who are going to be offered the employment. We also do reference checks if we’re going to that step of the hiring process."
The jail has moved forward with addressing some of the safety concerns in the staff parking lot like installing more lighting. But we’re told a recent incident makes the requested swipe card gate a top priority for the officers.
Kubik says, "An ex-officer’s significant other came up here in the parking lot, accosted a couple officers, threatened to come back here."
The warden tells us the prison board is still discussing the gate and they will be taking proper action when it comes to that incident. While Kubik is happy with the District Attorney’s Office investigating criminal allegations at the jail, he along with other officers who couldn’t make the meeting want the administration to have better procedures and policies.
Kubik says, "It’s discipline issues, it’s overlooking big issues but focusing on small issues. Like I said, promoting the wrong people, people who don’t have enough experience, enough training, people that are sympathizers to the negative culture in this building are wearing supervisor shirts and allowing these things to happen."
Haidle says, "The overall climate that I see and my deputy wardens that walk through, nothing is brought to our attention immediately. You know allegations are brought to the attention of the board in public settings but not to people they should be brought to so it can be resolved."
The warden maintains the binder about the sergeant will be discussed with the Monroe County Prison Board since it was presented during the meeting.
