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<p>Luzerne County is creating a new online database providing public access to information about inmates lodged in the county correctional system.</p><p>The search tool will provide inmate photographs, their housing assignment, the charges that brought them there and their bail amounts, said county Correctional Services Division Head Mark Rockovich.</p><p>Information on inmates will be removed from the online database when they are transferred or released, he said. The state and federal prison systems have public inmate locators.</p><p>Rockovich came up with the idea because his staff regularly receives calls from friends and family of inmates, the media and even crime victims seeking this information, which is public record. It&#8217;s common for prison staffers to field at least 100 calls seeking inmate information each day, he said.</p><p>&#8220;I hope to alleviate a good percentage of these calls with the new tool so employees can spend resources and time on other duties instead of on the phone,&#8221; Rockovich said. &#8220;We have technology, and I&#8217;d like to use it.&#8221;</p><p>The information on housing assignment will include the building where the inmate is housed &#8212; the Water Street prison or the minimum offenders building on Reichard Street, both in Wilkes-Barre &#8212; along with the floor, block and cell, he said.</p><p>This is of interest because the buildings and blocks have different visiting hours, he said.</p><p>After the tool is operational, Rockovich wants to revamp the correctional phone system menu alerting callers to the online site so they may access information on visiting hours without speaking to an employee.</p><p>He plans to make the tool available by early September. It was among several plans identified in county Manager C. David Pedri&#8217;s new 90-day goals.</p><p>The correctional division also listed a goal to continue transferring 22 years of inmate records to a new internal offender management system that tracks charges, housing placements, prison misconducts, commissary purchases and other information about those who have been lodged there.</p><p>Among the administration&#8217;s other new goals in Pedri&#8217;s report at <a href="http://www.luzernecounty.org/uploads/images/assets/county/county_council_2016/Agenda2017/AGENDA%20and%20PACKET%206-13-17%20Work.pdf" target="_blank">www.luzernecounty.org</a>, which are set for discussion at Tuesday&#8217;s work session:</p><p>&#8226; Submit recommendations to update the county personnel manual and code</p><p>&#8226; Select a company to update the county website.</p><p>&#8226; Reduce school truancy through a Children and Youth partnership with the courts and school districts</p><p>&#8226; Increase public awareness of veteran services through a new Facebook page and radio advertisement</p><p>&#8226; Train court personnel to take over most clerk of court duties during criminal proceedings to free up clerk of court employees for other office responsibilities</p><p>&#8226; Seek court approval to implement fees now permitted by the state for some services involving will estates and guardianships</p><p>&#8226; Install signs inside and outside the courthouse in Wilkes-Barre to help the public more easily locate offices</p><p>&#8226; Complete a review of the county zoning ordinance, which hasn&#8217;t been fully updated since 1964</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Rockovich </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_Rockovich_Mark.jpg</photo0><caption0>Rockovich </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jennifer Learn-Andes</p><p>jandes@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p>If you go</p><p>Tuesday&#8217;s Luzerne County Council meeting will be on the road at the Hazleton One Community Center, 225 E. Fourth St., Hazleton. The meeting and work session start at 6 p.m.</p><p>Council&#8217;s strategic initiatives committee will meet at 5 p.m. in the same place to discuss recent survey results that will be reviewed to help develop county goals.</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Luzerne County prison inmate information to be posted online