During the Schuylkill County Prison Board meeting held on Aug. 13, Warden Michael Buchanan provided the following State of the Prison report:
Schuylkill County Prison 2025 Total Expenses
Here is a look at the month-by-month total expenses for Schuylkill County Prison this year, as reported at Prison Board meetings:
- January: $834,937.43
- February: $668,321.56
- March: $566,546.53
- April: $622,170.14
- May: $597,626.65
- June: $1,064,416.31
- July: $1,342,755.06
2025 Year-to-date: $5,696,773.68
July 2025 Expenses
In July, expenses broke down as follows:
Salary – Department Head: $7,307.68
Salaries – Deputies and Assistants: $65,826.51
Wages – Deputies and Assistants: $4,451.88
Salaries – Clerical Staff: $3,418.08
Wages – Regular Employees: $595,302.22
Wages – Regular Part Time: $8,759.02
Wages – Overtime: $72,074.49
In Lieu of Benefits: $280
Materials & Supplies: $8,720.19
Clothing and Bedding: $275.57
Groceries: $58,150.32
Cleaning Supplies: $2,340.90
Uniforms: $184.21
Fuel, Electric, Water, & Sewer: $24,895.94
Temporary Housing: $87,634.97
Professional Services: $273,432.51
Training: $1,500.00
Travel Expenses: $34.08
Non-Payroll Commissions: $7,641.25
Inmate Wages: $ 524.00
MAT Program: $51,641.86
Maintenance & Repairs: $18,229.60
Maintenance Agreements: $10,180.10
Software Subscriptions: $1,263.00
Copier Capital Leases: $166.68
Capital Building and Improvements: $38,520.00
You Asked, We Got Answers …
After we published last month’s State of the Prison report, readers posted several good questions in response on our Facebook post promoting the article. They were in response to two line items on the expenses report.
Regarding the Department Head salary expenses of more than $18,000 for the month of June (reported in July), we learned that back pay due through a union contract resulted in the ballooned total.
And in regard to the relatively high Professional Services line item expense of more than $442,000 in June (reported in July), the County says hospitalization expenses incurred resulted in the extraordinarily high total.
Schuylkill County Prison Revenue (July 2025)
The prison reported the following revenues last month:
- Interest Bearing Account: $1,615.45
- Commissions: $8,218.02
- Social Security: $3,200.00
- Reimbursed Expenditures: $82,474.90
- Transfer from Prison Work Release: $2,625.00
- Total Revenue: $98,133.37
Buchanan also submitted the following updates:
In June, the peak population at Schuylkill County Prison was 219. The peak male population was 201 and the female peak was 45.
For the month, the average population at the prison was 211 (172 male, 39 female). That’s close to the norm for the year, according to prison data:
- June: 211 (172 male, 39 female)
- May: 220 (177, 43)
- April: 198 (159/39)
- March: 194 (157/37)
- February: 212 (171/41)
- January: 211 (171/40)
The average number of outsourced inmates was 42 in July, up 7 from the previous month. At the time of the August Prison Board meeting, there were 52 outsourced inmates (Centre County, 16; Clinton, 14; Northumberland, 22).
Five inmates are currently participating in the prison’s Work Release program.
There are four corrections officers and one lieutenant on extended leave and three officers on restricted duty.
At the time the State of the Prison report was released in August, there was one lieutenant position, two full-time corrections officers, and two part-time officers positions vacant.
At the Aug. 21 Schuylkill County Commissioners Work Session meeting, two part-time corrections officers were promoted to full-time and one full-timer was promoted to lieutenant.
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