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<p>Luzerne County&#8217;s prison system has received a fully compliant rating in the Pennsylvania Department of Correction&#8217;s recent facility inspection, county Manager C. David Pedri announced Friday.</p><p>Pedri said this designation is only granted to facilities that meet or exceed state-required standards and have no reported deficiencies or citations during the inspection period. The inspection covered both the Water Street prison and nearby minimum offenders building on Reichard Street in Wilkes-Barre, officials said.</p><p>County Correctional Services Division Head Mark Rockovich should be commended for his &#8220;tireless efforts&#8221; to meet compliance standards, Pedri said.</p><p>&#8220;As I&#8217;m sure you could tell from his budget presentation last week, he is an extremely capable and creative administrator and the county is lucky to have him. Hats off to him and his staff on this excellent report!&#8221; Pedri wrote in an email to council.</p><p>Due to the rating, the county prison system will be exempt from the 2020 inspection cycle, Pedri said.</p><p>In a letter informing the county of the rating, state corrections Executive Deputy Secretary of Institutional Operations Tabb Bickell heavily praised Rockovich and other prison staff for operating the correctional system in accordance with statewide standards.</p><p>The state conducted the inspection Aug. 22, he said.</p><p>&#8220;Staff commitment to compliance is evident throughout the facility allowing the facility to maintain an audit-ready status,&#8221; Bickell wrote.</p><p>Bickell said prison staffers &#8220;should be proud of their accomplishments&#8221; and encouraged them to maintain this compliance level.</p><p>&#8220;As the executive deputy secretary of institutional operations, I extend my congratulations and gratitude to all involved for their outstanding inspection results and a job well done,&#8221; he wrote.</p><p>The state bases inspections on requirements in a state law known as &#8220;Title 37&#8221; that spells out mandates. These inspections can occur every other year, instead of annually, if the state concludes a county prison complies with all minimum requirements, which is why a 2020 exemption was issued in this case</p><p>As part of inspections, the county must document it performs regular internal reviews of health and safety compliance and living and activity areas.</p><p>Safety checks include ensuring toilets are operational and heating, electrical and fire alarm systems are functioning properly, officials have said.</p><p>Prisons also must demonstrate inmates are properly classified and receiving access to medical and dental services, clean clothes and bedding and food kept in sanitary conditions based on a menu reviewed by a registered dietitian or physician with adequate accommodation for special diets and religious meals, officials have said.</p><p>The prison system is the county&#8217;s top department expense. Budgeted at $28.4 million this year, correctional services would receive nearly $1 million more under the proposed 2020 budget, bringing the new total to $29.4 million.</p><p>Factoring in anticipated revenue of $1.1 million, the correctional system would cost the county a net $28.3 million in the proposed budget.</p><p>The county&#8217;s average daily inmate population was 639 in October, records show.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Luzerne County prison on Water Street in Wilkes-Barre </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_lccf03.jpg</photo0><caption0>Luzerne County prison on Water Street in Wilkes-Barre </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"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Luzerne County prison system receives rave review in new inspection