Commissioners Discuss Improvement Ideas to Jail After New Warden Hire

by Sarah Bader

The commissioners are looking at ways to use a kitchen and a gym at the Armstrong County Jail.

Jason Renshaw, Pat Fabian, and George Skamai appeared on Talk of the Town on February 16 and discussed many topics with David Croyle. They also answered calls from concerned local residents.

The repeating topic of the night was the Armstrong County Jail. The jail has a capacity of 158 inmates. Recently, Phillip Schaffer was hired as the new warden.

The administrative change came after an inmate escaped on July 30, 2015. Robert Crissman, an inmate at the Armstrong County Jail, fled and allegedly murdered Tammy Long in her home.

A local caller asked why the jail kitchen wasn’t being utilized. The caller thought that if it were in use, then Crissman wouldn’t have been able to escape.

Currently, the first floor kitchen is not being used. The commissioners said this was one of the first things they noticed when they toured the jail in January. Jason Renshaw pointed out that the kitchen is in the same state as it was when they jail as built which opened in August 2003.

While interviewing for the new warden position, the commissioners asked many questions including how the candidates would utilize the kitchen and also the gym.

Phillip Schaffer, the new warden, said he wants to use the kitchen and prepare the food on site. Currently, it is less expensive to bring food in than to make food on location. Schaffer believes utilizing this space will give inmates skills in the jail, including how to operate and work among others.

Previously, Schaffer was the deputy warden at the Butler County Jail.

“A lot of the guys left there and got a job at a restaurant”, said Commissioner Renshaw on the new warden’s qualifications.

Commissioner Fabian also noted that they are going to try to tackle the drug epidemic within Armstrong County. Only 3 county jails in the state are going to try this new program out. It will create education and treatment for the inmates as they enter the jail and also the transition process for when they walk out.

According to a RAND Corporation research report, inmates that receive skills training are less likely to return to jail after they are released. They are 43 percent more likely to find a job than other inmates who do not learn skills while they are in jail.

The commissioners have scheduled to appear on the TV show the third Monday of each month to discuss relevant issues of the county. The next appearance will be Tuesday, March 22 at 8PM. The program is broadcast on Family-Life TV and available on Comcast cable on channel 23 in middle Armstrong County and channel 190 in the Alle-Kiski Valley. It is also available on the internet at www.familylifetv.com.