With every Monroe County Commissioners meeting the number of the Monroe Correctional Facility’s employees pleading for more help grows.

It has been 10 weeks since employees showed up at a Monroe County Commissioners meeting to address the working conditions at the jail.

“This is not acceptable, we have been at every meeting since the first meeting and all you say is we are looking into it, and to talk with the warden,” said Monroe Correctional Officer Donald Kubik, who is a Teamster Local 773 Chief Steward.

Officers are still being mandated for three 17-hour days in a row, then one regular eight-hour day and another three 17-hour days in row, according to Kubik and Matt Weidman, the Teamsters Local #773 Business Agent.

During the conversation with the commissioners Kubik brought up the fact that according to the union’s Collective Bargaining Contract when the facility is under staffed it should trigger a shutdown which means the inmates are not taken out for recreation.

When that happens, a report must be sent to the Pennsylvania_Department of Corrections and if there are numerous shutdowns then the Pennsylvania_Department of Corrections will start an investigation into the facility.

“That is why they don’t want to shut it down, even if it puts everyone in danger,” he said.

State Rep. Maureen E. Madden, D-115, was at the meeting and voiced her concern as to why after 10 weeks not one single thing has changed. Weidman asked the commissioners if they would look at several studies done on the impact of working under the conditions the correctional officers have had to work in.

“You will find in the studies that it causes depression, suicide and other issues, especially when working such long hours for so long,” he said

As the meeting came to an end, Kubik said, “No more talking. Every meeting you tell us you are going to look into it and talk about it and we hear nothing from you. Then we come back for the next meeting, and again to the next and nothing is done. When are you going to do something?”

The only comment from the commissioners was from Commissioner John Christy, who said. “I make a motion to adjourn the meeting.”