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| By Fred Ney , Citizens' Voice Staff Writer | 10/14/2003 |
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Posted on 10/14/2003 11:41:59 AM PDT by Born Conservative
| Fischi says he won't quit as warden |
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| Luzerne County Prison Warden Gene Fischi says he's embarrassed and outraged by the escape of accused murderer Hugo Selenski. He also stated Monday that he, the prison board and the prison administration "accept full responsibility for it." However, he said he has no intention of resigning. The county prison board, composed of county commissioners Tom Pizano, Tom Makowski and Steve Urban as well as Dr. Thomas Kowalski and Constance Wynn, held an executive session earlier Monday for about two hours to discuss the prison breach Friday night that made Selenski a fugitive and critically injured inmate Scott Bolton, who is still in Hershey Medical Center recovering from broken bones and internal injuries. At a 3 p.m. Monday press conference, the board announced, "steps were immediately taken to insure against any type of copy-cat attempt." Fischi assured the community and public that "the Luzerne County Correctional Facility is a secure institution." He said a "thorough review of the main facility, including the cell tower has been completed, and we have determined that all cells, doors and windows are secure." The warden said officials are "aggressively investigating the circumstances leading up to the escape Friday night ..." He noted that reviews are under way of "policies, procedures, personnel performances and the physical plant itself." He stressed, "We will take all steps necessary to insure that such an event will never be repeated." Luzerne County Engineer Jim Brozena has been ordered to seek out experts in prison construction for the purpose of consulting with the prison board and providing input as to the measures that should be taken to insure against a future similar event. He said dialogue would also be conducted with the state Department of Corrections. Selenski and Bolton used a broomstick and a rope made from bedsheets to pull a cell window out of the wall and into the cell. Then they threw a mattress out the small window opening to a roof some 40 feet below. Then, the two exited the window and began descending from the seventh floor of the cell tower. At some point, Bolton fell some 30 to 40 feet, landing on the roof with a thud that was the first noise prison personnel heard to make them suspicious that something was amiss. One prison official said there have been reports that Selenski kicked or pushed Bolton, causing him to fall. Once on the roof, Selenski used the mattress to shield himself from numerous coils of razor wire as he climbed over that obstacle. Then he jumped some 18 to 20 feet to the ground outside the prison walls to make his escape. Fischi would not answer questions about whether motion detectors came into play or whether such devices, known to be functioning years ago, are still functioning. He did say that no one inside the prison saw anything on monitors connected to outside security cameras. He said, in response to media questions, that the Department of Corrections performs unannounced inspections twice a year. He said the last inspection targeted two deficiencies, an overcrowded day room and inmate bathtubs not properly sanitized. Fischi noted that the prison, built in 1869 and expanded in 1983, was designed to hold 255 inmates. He said the current population is between 510 to 520. The warden said there were 35 prisoners in the cellblock that housed Selenski and Bolton Friday night. He also said there were three guards on duty plus one in a control booth overlooking the unit. "County prisons are more dangerous than state prisons," Fischi asserted, explaining that by the time prisoners get into state institutions, they are classified and sorted and many have become resigned to their incarcerations. He noted that county prisons get people who were just arrested, are often in an agitated state because of anger at being caught, or because of substance abuse or addiction. "We've got everyone from paternity cases to murderers," he said. He acknowledged that guards perform routine cell searches and that there are two beds to a cell and four bedsheets to a cell. From 8 to 10 each night, prisoners' cells are open and they are allowed to socialize in a common area of the cellblock, where they talk, play cards or watch television. They also have access to a phone. Selenski was wearing gray sweatpants and a white T-shirt at the time of the breakout. Fischi said he is looking into that issue and why prisoners don't wear prison uniforms at certain times. The breakout occurred at about 9:30 p.m. "I'm more outraged than the DA. If he (DA David Lupas) didn't call for an investigation, I would have," Fischi declared. |
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