SUNBURY — Nearly 30 Northumberland County Prison employees are still employed — four weeks after their workplace was destroyed by fire. County Commissioner Stephen Bridy said the county has been working to utilize as many employees as they can.
There were around 30 full time employees and about 26 part time employees at the time of the fire. Bridy said, “The part time employees were virtually not needed. We respect them, but we needed to keep our full time people employed the best we know how. For the most part, we’ve been able to utilize all of them. There has been a handful, maybe four or five, who are collecting right now, but they can be called back at any time, should we need to utilize them, and then they could receive a partial unemployment check as well.”
Northumberland County Prison employees are assisting at SCI Coal Township and SCI Muncy, where the county prisoners were sent. Bridy says the employees seem to be appreciated, “At SCI Muncy they told me first hand that, because they seem to be short staffed up there, they are very happy to see the employees. Because they are eager and willing to help with whatever they need them to do up there, it’s been a blessing to them as well. So, it seems to be working out well. We seem to be working very well together; we just need to make sure it continues.”
Some employees are working with the records staff at the county administration center. Bridy says Sunbury police are also grateful for the county employees helping the city to transport criminals.
Bridy says, as for the employees who could not be utilized, the county has the worker’s contact information, and they may be called when there is a permanent facility in place. He added that several other local counties have reached out and said they could use some part time employees. Bridy was on the WKOK Newsline with an update. (Codi Jade)