SUNBURY – During the monthly meeting of the Northumberland County Commissioners in Sunbury Tuesday it was revealed that a private company, G4S Youth Services, LLC. will be running juvenile treatment facilities at the new county prison site in Coal Township.
Northumberland County Commissioner Kymberly Best has some concerns about a private company running a human services facility, “I fundamentally believe that County human services should controlled by our elected officials that have to answer to the voting public.”
She says that going private with human services can be a slippery slope, “If there’s a problem with some of the most vulnerable people in our county, we can make a difference. When you deliver that for a ‘for profit’ company, you just lost the ability to do that. That is a fundamental way of thinking.”
Commissioner Best also feels that privatizing this facility will hurt unionized county workers and a private company may not want to offer adequate benefits.
Fellow Northumberland County Commissioner Sam Schiccatano feels differently on both issues “I see it as enhancing our help for the juveniles. It’s not going to effect in any way, any jobs, and if anyone loses their jobs because of up there I’d like them to contact me, because I don’t see that happening.”
He goes on to say that the only effect this program will have on jobs is a positive one for the County, “I don’t see any effect it’s going to have on any jobs except to bring more jobs in to Northumberland County. It’s a win-thing and don’t let anybody make it anything else.”
G4S Youth services signed a 2 year lease with the new prison on Tuesday. They hope to be operational in the fall of 2017. (Christopher Elio)
