Apr 14, 2014 By Jim Killinger 3 min read

This letter is in response to Adah resident Terry Ryan’s letter to the editor and hopefully not a token for any elected county official or group of people without factual information. I read your two-part series about the prison issue.

I found your comparison to baseball and strikes without merit. However, if instant replay were used regarding your strikes, here’s what it would show as factual:

Regarding the 84 violations at our prison, I said after three citations and a hearing, if they find that conditions still violate the essential minimum requirements, the Department of Corrections can order our prison ineligible to receive any additional prisoners.

This is in Title 37, Chapter 95, of the County Correctional Institutions in the  Pennsylania Code. Prison inspections are done to determine whether the county prison is in compliance with the minimum requirements of this chapter, and violations constitute a significant threat to the safety and security of the prison, prison staff, inmates or the public.

All three county commissioners are charged with protecting the health, safety and welfare of all county residents. Strike one was overturned by the replay booth after they read the law. I suggest you review it.

Regarding strike four, I did not recommend a new prison be built at the fairgrounds. The prison board did so at its meeting in September 2013, after a review of a study by Crabtree Rohrbaugh & Associates and Sleighter Engineering. The vote taken was 4-1 to build the prison and 4-1 to build it at the fairgrounds.

Strike four was overturned by the replay booth after they read the Herald-Standard and minutes of the prison board meeting of which I am not a voting member.

Regarding strike five, I had a total of 20 sites which were analyzed, and ,by law, I do not have to check with any township supervisor. As far as Menallen Township, as stated previously, a supervisor came to me with that location, and I requested he check with the other two supervisors and get back to me. I have never heard from him on that matter. Strike five was overturned by the replay booth.

Regarding strike nine, my site selection minutes are the ones used driving around Fayette County in my personal car and on my own time, checking sites. There was never any committee formed. Sites were all listed in the newspaper. Strike nine was overturned by the replay booth.

I respect your opinion and feelings on the subject of a new prison. One other fact is not all taxpayers are upset over this issue. I suggest you do your due diligence regarding the facts.

Jim Killinger is a resident of Uniontown.