Latest news with #PennsylvaniaDepartmentofCorrections
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Yahoo
Dauphin County 911 dispatcher failed to 'escalate' call amid Governor's Residence arson, county says
DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) — A Dauphin County 911 dispatcher failed to 'appropriately escalate' a call allegedly made by the suspect of the Pennsylvania Governor's Residence arson attack, according to a county official. Eric Hagarty, Dauphin County's Chief Clerk and Chief of Staff, confirmed Monday that the dispatcher's actions are 'being addressed internally' in accordance with human resources policies. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now On April 13, Cody Balmer, the suspect in the arson attack, allegedly made a 911 call to 'apologize' for the fire that officials say began when Balmer threw Molotov Cocktails into the Governor's Residence dining room that morning. The person claiming to be Balmer in the 911 call said they would 'confess to everything that I have done.' Balmer was arrested hours later and charged with multiple felonies, including attempted homicide, arson, and terrorism. According to Hagarty, the dispatcher who took the call received certified training approved by the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. 'As anyone can imagine, the immediate response to any sort of crisis such as this one was inherently fast-paced with first responders doing the best they can with the information they have,' said Hagarty. 'But as with any tragic event, it also presents an opportunity for officials at all levels of law enforcement to review the actions taken in the immediate response in an effort to identify opportunities to improve.' Hagarty added, 'Although this error in judgment on the part of the operator did not result in any further harm to anyone, we take the mistake extremely seriously and it is being addressed internally according with our human resources policies.' Governor Josh Shapiro and his family were sleeping inside the residence when the fire began hours after they celebrated the first night of Passover. No one was injured in the fire, which caused extensive damage to the residence. Balmer's mother told multiple media outlets that her son was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, but that no one had helped her when she contacted police in the days leading up to the fire. According to Pennsylvania Department of Corrections records, Balmer was recently moved from SCI Camp Hill to SCI Waymart, which 'serves as the focal point for the treatment of all psychiatric inmates within the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections.' Balmer is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on May 28. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Yahoo
Three longtime Cambria County corrections workers bridge two eras
EBENSBURG, Pa. – At a time when most corrections officers are early in their careers, the decades of experience gained by three men working at the Cambria County Prison is increasingly rare – and will be irreplaceable when they retire, Cambria County Prison Warden Kurt Wolford said. Brian Latoche is major of booking and admissions for the prison; George Rozum is chief deputy warden of operations; and John Briel is the prison's most senior corrections officer and president of the corrections officers' union. They each have 30 years or more of experience, and are the only three men working at the current Cambria County Prison who have also made their rounds at the old Cambria County Jail. All three are 54 years old and eligible for retirement next year, though none of them have committed to retirement. Their experiences at the old jail would be similar to scenes that a majority of the prison's staff would only see in a movie such as 'The Shawshank Redemption.' 'The smoking,' Rozum said. 'You'd take the inmates downstairs for their recreation time, and they had one big 55-inch TV, and you couldn't even see, there was so much smoke down there. You'd come home and you stunk from cigarette smoke.' The veteran corrections workers described a past filled with more grit than the present. 'We didn't have CERT gear,' Rozum said. 'If there was a problem with an inmate, we pretty much took our watches and glasses off and did what we had to do to restrain the inmate. Now we have OC spray and more safety measures.' The old jail was dark at night when officers made their rounds with flashlights. 'Doing your checks at night – spooky,' Latoche said. Briel agreed. 'The whole building was dark, and the 150 inmates in the jail were right there and they could just reach through the bars,' he said. 'There were no solid doors over there.' The jail, built in 1872, was sweltering in the summer, Rozum said. 'That's how we got this current prison ... the federal lawsuit filed by an inmate because of the heat,' he said. The old Cambria County Jail in Ebensburg is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It housed prisoners until 1997, when the current Cambria County Prison opened on Manor Drive in Cambria Township. Today, there are 90 full-time officers at the prison when it's fully staffed, which it's not, Wolford said. In addition to full-time officers, the prison is allowed up to 15 per-diem officers. Briel recalled a time when per-diem officers had to wait for someone to retire for a shot at a full-time position. 'There were never openings,' he said. The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changed the workforce, Rozum said. 'That's when we started putting per-diem officers on full time,' he said. 'We couldn't get people.' In February, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections said in a press release that attracting and retaining qualified corrections officers is a challenge experienced nationwide at all levels of corrections. The department worked to attract a more diverse workforce last year by lowering the minimum age for corrections officer trainees from 21 to 18. At the Cambria County Prison, a majority of the staff has less than five years of experience, Briel said. As the prison works through staffing challenges, some of the fundamental work at the prison is also changing. Rozum said he foresees the future of corrections becoming more treatment-oriented. 'It's hard for the county prisons because we don't have the resources like the state and federal prisons do, so we are kind of hampered to give inmates the treatment that they need,' he said. Over time, as state hospitals closed, the prison has seen more inmates with mental illnesses, he said. Wolford said the prison is looking to collaborate with the county government on more treatment-focused programs. That includes a medication- assisted treatment program in which people addicted to drugs 'on the outside' will come to the prison to receive treatment to take away the craving. 'We are trying to make a lot of changes in a positive way,' he said. 'The knowledge we have here still at this prison in these three (Latoche, Rozum and Briel), you can't understate how important that is to what we are going to do in the future, even though we are moving in directions that we've never moved in before.' Wolford said all three of the most senior members have shaped him personally over his career. Looking to the future, Briel contemplated the legacy that he, Rozum and Latoche hope to leave behind. 'When we retire, I think hopefully we will have made it better for the next ones coming up,' he said. 'It's a different environment (for young officers), definitely.'
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Yahoo
Pennsylvania Governor's Residence arson suspect Cody Balmer relocated to new prison
(WHTM) – Cody Balmer, the suspect in the arson attack on Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's Harrisburg residence, has been moved to a different facility. According to Pennsylvania Department of Corrections records, Balmer was moved from SCI Camp Hill to SCI Waymart. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now According to the Department of Corrections, SCI Waymart 'serves as the focal point for the treatment of all psychiatric inmates within the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections.' Balmer's mother has told multiple media outlets her son was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. She requested police assistance for her son; however, Penbrook Police say her request did not meet the standards for emergency psychiatric assistance. Suspect in Governor's Residence arson denied bail Balmer was arrested and originally taken to the Dauphin County Prison after the fire at Shapiro's residence earlier this month hours after the Shapiro family celebrated Passover. A 911 call from someone claiming to be Balmer took credit for the fire, which officials say was set by Molotov Cocktails in the residence's state dining room while Shapiro's family slept. Balmer is facing charges including attempted homicide, arson, and terrorism. He's scheduled for a preliminary hearing on May 28. Download the abc27 News+ app on your Roku, Amazon Fire TV Stick, and Apple TV devices Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Yahoo
Jury selection to head into fifth day for Kendrick's trial in SCI-Somerset sergeant's killing
SOMERSET, Pa. – Jury selection will head into a fifth day for the capital murder trial of a state prison inmate accused of killing an SCI-Somerset corrections sergeant in 2018. Another full day of questioning of potential jurors Thursday added one more person to the panel. That brings the number of jurors to 11, one short of the 12 needed for a full panel. Paul Jawon Kendrick, 29, is charged with homicide in the case, and would face the possibility of the death penalty if he is convicted of first-degree murder. Paul Jawon Kendrick This undated photo provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections shows inmate Paul Jawon Kendrick, accused of fatally assaulting correctional officer Sgt. Mark Baserman on Feb. 15, 2018, at a state prison in Somerset. Kendrick is accused of fatally beating Sgt. Mark Baserman, 60, who died while hospitalized two weeks after an altercation in an SCI-Somerset 'day room.' Another corrections officer was also injured in the incident. Cambria County Senior Judge Patrick Kiniry, who is presiding over the case in Somerset County court, has scheduled a full day of selection Friday to complete the panel and allow attorneys to select four alternate jurors, who would step in to help decide the case if one or more jurors isn't able to complete the task. Court officials have anticipated that the trial, and if necessary a capital penalty phase, could run for two weeks or more once a panel of jurors is seated. Thursday's questioning wrapped up just before 6 p.m. Groups of potential jurors have arrived for jury duty daily since Monday, assembling in a courtroom for instruction each morning before entering a jury room one at a time for individual questioning about their feelings on murder, the death penalty and other topics related to the case. According to Somerset County Court Administrator Tammy Escalera, 42 potential jurors were interviewed or had their questionnaires considered Thursday. Approximately 60 more have not yet been interviewed, and more than half were on deck to appear for jury selection Friday. Somerset County residents called for jury duty can be ruled out by Kiniry following their interviews if they are deemed unable or unfit to fairly serve. But prosecutors and defense attorneys each entered jury selection with 20 preemptive 'strikes' at their discretion, which can be used to rule out a potential juror who is deemed less than ideal for their case. On Thursday, those strikes started adding up, with each side using a handful. Each side has now used 11 strikes, meaning each has nine remaining. As attorneys on both sides have often said, it's their duty to find people who are not only willing to serve on a homicide case – but also would maintain an open mind even if a defendant is found guilty of intentionally killing someone. A suitable juror must then be willing to weigh arguments for a sentence of life in prison without parole or a death sentence – and be willing to cast their individual vote to support their decision. As dozens of potential jurors have told attorneys this week, that's not easy. But that's nothing unusual, defense attorney Edward 'E.J.' Rymsza said after court. The Williamsport attorney has spent more than 15 years defending clients in capital cases. 'Sometimes, it takes weeks to select (a jury),' he said.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Yahoo
Job fair is Tuesday at SCI Albion
ALBION — The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (DOC) is hosting a job fair with the goal of filling several positions at SCI Albion, 10745 Route 18, Tuesday from noon to 6 p.m. SCI Albion is hiring for corrections officer trainees and other positions across multiple fields. Last year, the DOC lowered the minimum age requirement for corrections officer trainee positions to 18. Previously, the age requirement was set at 21 In addition, the department has secured a waiver of the Pennsylvania residency requirement for corrections officer job titles at all of the commonwealth's 24 state correctional institutions. The change allows the DOC to recruit prospective corrections officers from neighboring states. For more information on open positions within the department and career opportunities in corrections, visit No appointment or registration is required to attend the job fair. Attendees may have to pass through a security screening to enter the facility. No drugs or weapons are allowed on property. All attendees are encouraged to apply to positions prior to arrival. Onsite interviews will take place the day of the event for corrections officer trainees. Please bring two forms of ID. Commonwealth employment offers competitive pay, time off, retirement and many other benefits. To learn more about the commonwealth's Total Rewards benefits package, visit
