By Mark Gilger
The News-Item
SUNBURY — A cooperative effort by county and state employees led to the smooth transportation of Northumberland County inmates Tuesday to their preliminary hearings.
For the first time, four veteran correctional officers were used instead of local police or constables to transport defendants to legal proceedings at the office of Magisterial District Judge Benjamin Apfelbaum.
No prisoners were scheduled for hearings Tuesday morning at the office of Magisterial District Judge John Gembic III in Shamokin, or today before Magisterial District Judges Hugh Jones of Mount Carmel and Michael Diehl of Milton.
Correctional Officer Len Socko and Sgt. Krista Brouse, who is the command post coordinator for the prison at its temporary headquarters in the conference room at Northumberland County Administration Center, said no problems occurred while transporting three males and one female from SCI-Coal Township and SCI-Muncy, respectively, to Apfelbaum’s office at the administration center.
In addition to Socko, other correctional officers transporting male prisoners are Ron Navrocki, Bruce Gibbs and alternate Justin Barlett. Correctional officers transporting female prisoners are Lois Shuman, Holly Olvany and alternate Jessica Brouse.
Sgt. Brouse said the transporters were chosen based on seniority.
She said two correctional officers are required to transport prisoners and more will be used if needed.
A car and van have been provided by Sheriff Robert Wolfe’s office to transport prisoners and a prison van also will be used when needed to take multiple defendants to their arraignments, preliminary hearings and legal proceedings at the courthouse.
Prison Warden Bruce Kovach commended his staff for working well together despite facing an unprecedented situation resulting from the Jan. 14 fire that extensively damaged the county prison built in 1876.
Kovach said the county’s 25 full-time correctional officers report to the command center every day. He said maintaining the part-time employees is still a “work in progress.”
In addition to Kovach and Sgt. Brouse, other county prison personnel working out of the command center include executive assistant Brenda Walburn, directory inmate accounts employee Suzanne Swank, work release coordinator Eda Kline and Correctional Officer Henry Fessler.
Prison Commander Brian Wheary and records officers Mark Ferguson and Deb Krieger are working out of an office at SCI-Coal Township, while Lt. Jim Smink, who serves as the prison’s public information officer, is overseeing recovery efforts at the prison.
Sgt. Brouse said correctional officers are still in the process of gathering inmate and staff belongings from the fire scene. She said items belonging to inmates who are released from prison can be picked up at the command center.