Nine inmates at the Schuylkill County Prison were transferred Friday to the George W. Hill Correctional Facility, Thornton.
Commissioners Chairman George F. Halcovage Jr. said there will be additional transfers to reduce triple celling at the county prison.
The commissioners finalized the one-year agreement Wednesday to transfer inmates to the Delaware County prison.
“The county is very appreciative of the assistance provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections as well as the Delaware County Prison System administration and staff,” Halcovage said in a statement released Friday. “The commissioners and prison board respect and understand the concerns expressed by the PA Department of Corrections for implementing best practices in the county prison system, specifically as they relate to the elimination of triple celling of inmates.”
The commissioners had previously authorized separate agreements in November 2015 with the George W. Hill Correctional Facility to house the men and the State Correctional Institution/Muncy to house the women for $60 a day per inmate. Three women had already been transferred to the Muncy facility. Halcovage had said about 25 inmates will be transferred to Delaware County.
The state Department of Corrections assisted with the transfer and the county paid for tolls and gas.
In July 2015, the state DOC made an agreement with the county to reduce its inmate population or risk not being allowed to house any additional prisoners. The agreement to bring the inmate population back to its approved capacity of 277 was designed to eliminate triple celling at the facility. Triple celling refers to three inmates being housed in a cell meant for one or two.
George W. Hill Correctional Facility is a privately owned company contracted through Delaware County. Built in 1998, it has a capacity of 1,931 and houses inmates from different county, state and federal prison systems.
The cost of $60 per inmate a day is less than the state average of about $67, according to the DOC. Meanwhile, it costs Schuylkill County about $45 a day to house an inmate.