HONESDALE, Pa. — The Wayne County commissioners have decided to no longer pursue the possible merging of Wayne and Pike County correctional facilities.
The decision comes after a meeting Thursday where county officials end a six-week correctional facility study.
It suggested both counties consider consolidating their facilities into the Pike County location, citing low incarceration numbers and staffing shortages.
Wayne County Commissioner Jocelyn Cramer said the study already opened their eyes to the importance of the jail.
" What we discovered is that there is a value on a high-quality correction experience here in the community that you can't put a number on. So at the time, we decided to close that feasibility study period and to make no changes," said Commissioner Cramer.
Last Friday, staff and families from the Wayne County facility held a rally pleading for it to stay open. Here's what they told us then.
"With mortgages, child care, car payments, we can't take a guess come Thanksgiving while they're eating their nice little dinners, and we don't have a job," said Sgt. Jason L. Thomas, with the Wayne County Prison.
Employees at the jail are grateful the proposed merger is no longer in consideration.
in a statement to Newswatch 16, Wayne County prison union representative Benjamin Grover said:
"All of the staff at the Wayne County Correctional Facility, families, and our public community want to sincerely thank so deeply each and every person that helped out along the way in making our county and each other aware how this facility impacts us all."
County officials say the next step is focusing on improving efficiency and revenue at the Wayne County Prison.