Schuylkill County’s Prison is again burgeoning, forcing the county to send overflow to prisons in other counties.

Warden David J. Wapinsky reported at a public meeting of the county Prison Board Wednesday that inmates in 14 cells were triple-celled, with three inmates housed in cells instead of two.

The prison population as of July peaked at 257.

Then, an average number of inmates sent out of county was 42.

As of Wednesday, it was 47, with 24 in Centre County, seven in Columbia County, and 16 in Clinton County.

The county started sending overflow inmates out of the county in 2016, after the state Department of Corrections learned the aging county prison on Sanderson Street, across from the county courthouse in Pottsville, was routinely overcrowded.

It ordered the county to stop accepting new inmates if the average daily inmate count topped 277.

“Outsourcing” the inmates costs about $65-$70 per inmate per day, or $2,665-$2,870 daily.

County Finance Director Paul E. Buber said the county as of Wednesday has spent $654,315.54 on outsourcing inmates. As of July 31 last year, it had spent $334,440.

The county has been exploring other options, including building a prerelease center to house inmates who are getting ready to finish their sentences.

However, that option was found to be too expensive.

Correction officers

Also Wednesday, the board hired a part-time corrections officer and increased the wages of three others.

Devin Buccieri, Frackville, was hired. He was previously a patrol officer in Frackville.

Part-time corrections officers Hunter Hutnick, Mahanoy City; Latasha Roach, Lehighton, and Victoria Morales, Lebanon, were each granted raises to $25.38 an hour as per their union contracts.

There is one correctional officer on extended medical leave and three on restricted duty.

There are seven part-time correctional officers positions open.