Security protocols at Westmoreland Prison under review after inmate escapes from cell

Westmoreland officials said a review of the county jail's security protocols is underway after an inmate escaped from his cell last week using a piece of paper and then allegedly attacked a guard making his routine morning rounds.

Warden Steve Pelesky said the inmate, identified in court documents as John Michael Crowe, 37, of the village of Rillton, tampered with the door lock and walked out of his cell shortly after 3 a.m. on Aug. 12, when he confronted a guard and exchanged blows.

Officials said initial reports of papers stuffed into the locking mechanism indicated that the computer system that controls and monitors the facility's doors had been fooled, falsely claiming Crowe's cell was sealed.

“He tampered with the door lock. The control panel showed the door was locked,” Pelesky said. “We are still investigating the case and interviewing staff, but it appears that is exactly what happened. The guards need to make sure (the doors) are locked.”

The security guard, whose identity is unknown, was hit in the face but not seriously injured and was able to return to work the next day, according to the director.

County investigators charged Crowe with aggravated assault, simple assault and escape.

Court records show he has been in jail since January. In June, Crowe was sentenced to six to 23 months in prison for resisting arrest and public intoxication. Additional cases are pending, including charges of terroristic threats, simple assault, strangulation and harassment.

Following the incident, security protocols are being reviewed. Pelesky said guards now have to manually ensure that cell doors are locked. At the end of July, there were 592 inmates in the prison. It has a capacity of 700.

“We all make sure the doors are locked and double and triple check,” Pelesky said.

Ryan Perry, president of United Mine Workers Local 522, the union that represents correctional officers at the prison, downplayed the security lapse but said guards have a duty to manually ensure cell doors are locked. Perry said cell doors are routinely locked at 9 p.m. each night and are monitored by guards at various security stations throughout the facility.

“It appears this was an isolated incident and all issues are being identified and resolved,” Perry said.

Doug Chew, Westmoreland Commissioner and chairman of the county's jail board, which will meet in public session at the courthouse on Aug. 26, said security issues will be discussed behind closed doors.

“We need to make sure this doesn't happen again in the future. This is an older prison and we are in the process of modernising parts of it,” Chew said.

Nicole Ziccarelli, Westmoreland County district attorney and a member of the prison board, said the prison's security issues will be addressed.

“We're always learning something new. The people (inmates) down there are always trying something new and we always have to stay one step ahead,” Ziccarelli said.

The two-story prison was built in the early 1990s and has undergone several upgrades over the years. Among other improvements, a computerized locking system was installed in 2008 that controls and monitors the facility's doors. The original doors and lever locking mechanisms are still in place, authorities said.

The commission awarded contracts totalling over $779,000 earlier this year to upgrade the prison's electrical control systems and lifts. Work is ongoing and Chew said a thorough review of the prison's door locking systems was part of the ongoing project, which could reveal further work that needs to be completed.

“It is still at a very early stage and we are assessing our future needs. We are having discussions about it because these issues pose a security risk,” Chew said.