Local News
Prisoners' rights advocate says meeting opened up dialogue
SAEGERTOWN — A local prisoners’ rights advocate said a closed-door meeting Thursday with Crawford County prison officials paved the way for more open dialogue on what he’s termed “uncivil treatment” of inmates at the county jail in Saegertown.
Meadville resident Sam Byrd Jr. has said in recent weeks that he’s concerned about the health and welfare of inmates, and recently sent to officials a list of 12 questions on policies and procedures — many surrounding health care issues.
In Thursday’s hour-long session, Byrd was joined by fellow Pennsylvania Prison Society member John Hargreaves of Harrisburg. They met privately with jail Warden Tim Lewis, Mark Stevens, the county’s attorney, and Meadville attorney Ted Watts. Watts attended because he is being considered as a replacement for Stevens in the county role when Stevens assumes his duties as a judge in coming weeks.
“I don’t know much progress was made in terms of anything being resolved,” but prison officials “were open in terms of meeting and talking. ... That’s the important thing,” Byrd said after the meeting.
He said Stevens led the session and outlined specific policies currently in place at the county jail, in terms of both personnel and management. Stevens also outlined strategies for future interaction by those attending Thursday’s meeting, seeking agreement “on how we can move forward to address these issues,” Byrd said. No inmates, past or present, attended Thursday’s meeting.
Byrd has told the Tribune that he’s been contacted by about 10 inmates about incidents. He has declined, however, to offer specifics about the instances that concern him, saying he doesn’t want to expose specific inmates to possible retaliation for speaking out.
Lewis declined to comment on the matter Thursday.
Stevens, who didn’t return a call for comment Thursday, recently told the Tribune the jail has received 100-percent perfect scores from the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections for jail operations for four inspections in a row. Each of those inspections cover a two-year period. The last one was conducted in 2008 and covers 2008 and 2009.
The county jail has a rated capacity of 282 and currently houses about 200 inmates, Lewis said last week.
Stevens also recently said Thursday’s session was not to be a decision-making meeting of the prison board, but simply a time for officials to discuss Byrd’s concerns with him and Hargreaves. Information from Thursday’s meeting is expected to be taken back to the prison board for any possible action by the board, Stevens said recently.
“It’s a very complicated situation that I don’t think is going to be easily resolved,” Byrd said, adding he appreciated the invitation to speak with prison officials.
The Pennsylvania Prison Society is a Philadelphia-based social justice organization that advocates on behalf of prisoners, formerly incarcerated individuals and their families. Under state law, they are allowed into any jail at a prisoners’ request.
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