Corrections Officers

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - The Franklin County Prison population averaged 281 inmates a day in 1999, including a one-day record of 314 in February, according to Warden Raymond Rosenberry. The daily average was up from 257 in 1998 at the 324-bed prison complex, according to a report Rosenberry gave to the County Prison Board last week. The number of inmate-days increased by more than 11,000 to 102,652 last year. The figures translate to a daily prison population that is 24 inmates higher, and women prisoners make up a significant part of the increase.

By STACEY DANZUSO chambersburg@herald-mail.com CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - The Franklin County Board of Commissioners Tuesday approved a preliminary 2003 budget that leaves taxes at their current level. "It's a lean budget, but one that allows us to meet our commitment for safety and our employees," Commissioner G. Warren Elliott said. Elliott credited a growing economy and prudent planning for holding the line on taxes. "All elected officials and department heads have done a good job at being as efficient and thoughtful in their requests as possible," he said.

Why toss out Geesaman's experience? To the editor: I was surprised to read that in a recent meeting the Washington (Pa.) Township Supervisors voted 3-2 against the reappointment of Jeffrey Geesaman to the WTMA board of directors, despite his 15-year tenure as a member and board chairman of WTMA. For all of those who don't know, Geesaman is not an import, but a lifelong resident of Washington Township and as such, has acquired extensive knowledge of its resources and residents.

martinsburg@herald-mail.com MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - Sometime next year, many of the state's convicted felons will be kept and evaluated in Martinsburg before they are dispersed to one of 12 prisons around the state. The former Eastern Regional Jail, off W.Va. 9 east of Martinsburg, will be converted to the Martinsburg Correctional Center, a 120-bed intake center for the state Division of Corrections. It will employ more than 100 people, said Steve Canterbury, executive director of the Regional Jail Authority.

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - Some physical changes will be made at the Franklin County Prison complex in an effort to prevent incidents such as the ones that led to criminal charges against a prison chaplain last month. cont. from front page At Thursday's monthly meeting of the county Prison Board, Warden Raymond Rosenberry said he will suggest enlarging windows in the doors of two conference rooms to give corrections officers a better view inside the rooms at the prison annex where female inmates are housed.

CHAMBERSBURG, PA. -- When Warden John Wetzel took over the old Franklin County Prison on Jan. 19, 2002, the inmate population was 322, but the head count Friday morning was 298 before several people were released having served out their sentences. That bucks the national trend which, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, saw the inmate population increase an average of 2.6 percent annually between 2000 and 2006 before moderating to 1.5 percent in 2007. The decrease is not indicative of a reduction in the crime rate in the county, which was flat the past two years.

HAGERSTOWN -- Five Maryland Correctional Institution inmates charged with beating another inmate with socks loaded with locks and a can of tomato sauce appeared in Washington County Circuit Court Tuesday, with four entering plea agreements and three of them having more years added to their current sentences. The five, each of whom had an interpreter, were charged in an Oct. 31, 2009, attack on Robert Davis, who was beaten with socks containing combination locks and one that contained the can of sauce, the application for statement of charges said.

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - In light of the escape of two inmates last month, Franklin County Prison Warden Ray Rosenberry recommended Thursday that more razor wire be installed on the fences and roof of the building. Steven L. Silverman, 30, of Hagerstown, and Scott Caldwell Taylor, 24, of Sharpsburg, remained at large Thursday following an April 19 escape. Authorities said they used hacksaw blades to cut through the bars of a cell. Rosenberry said the two men are believed to have climbed onto the roof and jumped from the front of the jail, where there is no fence.

Nearly three decades ago, the notorious Franklin brothers hacked their way out of jails in both Maryland and West Virginia. The latter escape occurred when one brother played a harmonica to disguise the sounds of the other, who was busily sawing his way through an iron bar. About the same time, a couple of cellmates in Morgan County were breaking out of their own confines; they made it to a bar across the street, nabbed a keg of beer and...

Several months ago — or maybe it was last week (at this age, the mind plays tricks) — Washington County Public Schools was all abuzz about bullying. I don’t remember the particulars, obviously, but I think the school board was against it. I’m sure they tossed around words like “awareness” and “empowerment” and “stakeholders.” They’re big on stakeholders. At the time, I didn’t get all that fired up over the issue one way or another.