Consent decree lehigh county prison

Edward Sweeney, CJM, CCHP

Sweeney Corrections Consulting, LLC

March 2017 – Present

Providing corrections related expert witness services for both plaintiff and defense counsel. Reviewing evidence, providing consultation, preparing reports and testifying as needed. References are available upon request.

Performing Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) audits for adult correctional facilities. Reviewing policies along with other documentation, observing practices, interviewing staff and inmates, to assess compliance with the established national standards and associated provisions. Making a final determination of compliance and prescribing corrective actions when necessary.

Providing general assistance to correctional administrators in the areas of policy development, preparing requests for proposals, responding to right to know requests, assessing training programs, standard compliance, safety concerns, system/process improvements including but not limited to physical plant modifications.

Director of Corrections for the County of Lehigh, PA

September 1999 – January 2017

Cabinet level position reporting directly to the elected County Executive in a Home Rule Charter form of government. Responsible for oversight and administration of a 1,350 bed Jail facility, a 400 bed Community Corrections Center, and a 48 bed Juvenile Detention Center.

• Prepared, implemented, and enforced policy manual directing all aspects of departmental operations.
• Effectively managed over 300 full-time bargaining and non-bargaining unit employees as well as varied contracted service providers, with respect and accountability. Responsible for all hire, fire and promotional decisions.
• Prepared varied Requests For Proposals pertaining to a broad spectrum of professional services.
• Negotiated professional service contracts with private vendors and enforce said terms.
• Negotiated and enforced Collective Bargaining Agreements with organized government employee groups.
• Worked with architects and project managers to plan and construct all existing Lehigh County corrections facilities.
• Successfully stemmed system overcrowding by working with courts and other local criminal justice practitioners to change antiquated practices, resulting in nine consecutive years of reduced population, despite 12% rise in overall county community census.
• Managed all corrections related litigation, with varied assigned Assistant County Solicitors and insurance professionals.
• Planned and implemented countywide Central Booking operation, inside of the jail, for the processing of all arrestees, including D.U.I.’s, in concert with District Attorney and Judiciary.
• Negotiated professional service contracts with private service providers and enforced terms of agreements.
• Established and maintained per diem contracts with varied agencies including but not limited to the United States Marshals Service, PA State Department of Corrections, and the City of Philadelphia.
• Interacted directly with County Commissioners, State/Federal Legislators, Judges and media.
• Ensured fiscally responsible capital improvements were funded and completed in a timely manner.
• Founding member (2002) and co-chair of the Lehigh County Criminal Justice Advisory Board (CJAB), providing a forum for varied Criminal Justice practitioners to assemble monthly to discuss systemic or specific concerns and ways to improve our local criminal justice processes.
• Chairperson of the CJAB Data Committee, focused on the collection of data in order to identify trends or bottlenecks in the system and present plans of action to address same. Assembled an annual county-wide Criminal Justice Data Report and a comprehensive recidivism research report.
• Lived and breathed our departmental mission, to “Enhance public safety via lawful confinement of individuals and targeted rehabilitative programming.”
• Personally driven to remain current in corrections related case law, legislation, technology, trends and practices.

Warden of Lehigh County Jail, Allentown, PA

February 1993 – February 2002

Responsible for managing all operations of a 1,350 bed maximum-security correctional facility, including the opening of the new generation high rise correctional facility upon completion of construction; learned a great deal about construction requirements and process, as well as corrections technology products. Managed terms of a preexisting federal consent decree for several years, culminating in the successful closure of the consent decree by the Federal Court.

Warden of Lehigh County Interim Correctional Facility, Salisbury, PA

November 1989 - February 1993

Responsible for administering all operations of a 300-bed medium security correctional facility. Planned and coordinated the opening of the facility within a six-month time frame, utilizing modified trailers adjoined to a core structure, with a strong fence system and perimeter patrols; learned to improvise and to challenge staff.

Deputy Warden of Lehigh County Work Release Center, Allentown, PA

October 1988 - November 1989

Directed the renovation of urban apartment building and opening of a 100-bed community-based work release facility and administered op eration of same. Established and managed an independent annual budget and supervised 20 employees, with strong focus on reentry.

Work Release Supervisor, Lehigh County Jail, Allentown, PA

September 1986 - October 1988

Served as a mid-manager in the jail’s Treatment department, responsible for screening individuals for placement into jail work release dormitory and overall responsibility for management of work release program; learned to appreciate the chasm of needs for most of our returning citizens.

Corrections Officer, Lehigh County Jail, Allentown, PA

December 1984 - September 1986

Responsible for direct care, custody, and control; learned a great deal about human behavior, including uniformed staff culture.

Bachelor of Arts in Business Management

Allentown College of Saint Francis de Sales (now DeSales University), Center Valley, PA

Associates Degree in Business Administration

Lehigh County (now Carbon) Community College

William Allen High School, Allentown, PA

Ancillary Professional Summary

• Certified Jail Manager (CJM) via the American Jail Association (AJA) since 2006.
• Certified Correctional Health Professional (CCHP) via the National commission on Correctional Healthcare (NCCHC) since 2016.
• Certified Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) auditor, via the United States Department of Justice and the PREA Resource Center since 2018.
• Founding member of the statewide Pennsylvania County Corrections Association, formed in 2001, affiliated with PA County Commissioners Association. Served on the Executive Board for 14 years including President, First Vice-President, Second Vice-President, Past President, and Executive Board member for Eastern district of the State. Also served as Chairman of Vendor Committee, Chairman of By-Laws Committee, and Chairman of Legislative Affairs Committee, as well as numerous statewide subcommittees. The association provided me a vehicle to help shape varied statewide legislative, regulatory, and sentencing commission proceedings and legislative initiatives.
• Previously a nine-year member of the Pennsylvania Prison Wardens Association. Beginning in 1990, served as one of four representatives for statewide legislative affairs committee, representing the Warden Associations interests in Harrisburg. Served as the Eastern Regional Executive Board Representative for the Pennsylvania Prison Warden's Association.
• One of nine selected Jail Administrators to participate in National Jail Succession and Leadership Development Project. Assembled and published identified core competencies and required knowledge, skills, and abilities for jail leadership in concert with the Center for Innovative Public Policies, Inc., Sam Houston State University, and the American Jail Association, for the U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance.
• Member of special U.S. Department of Justice Task Force (now closed) to stem drug traffic in highway corridor connecting New York City, Philadelphia, Lehigh Valley, and Baltimore.
• Selected as the local corrections representative for Pennsylvania to attend National Institute of Corrections Regional Workshops in Baltimore (2004) and Pittsburg (2006) to help The Moss Group and the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) Commission shape the initial PREA efforts. Also selected as one of the 15 jail experts nationally to attend a “Listening Session” at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., January 2010, regarding the final draft of PREA.
• Served as the sole county corrections representative on the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing’s Strategic Planning Work Group; to conduct comprehensive review of existing sentencing policy, regulation, as well as guidelines, and to make recommendations to legislature for systemic changes.
• Served as the sole county corrections representative on the Joint State Government Commission Advisory Committee addressing Services for Children of Incarcerated Parents; to expand services and provide for increased visitation.
• Served as the sole county corrections representative on the statewide Justice Reinvestment Work Group, with varied high level criminal justice stakeholders, working with The Council of State Governments Justice Center to help shape systemic changes to improve efficiency. ​
• Awarded Federal Commendation by the United States Department of Justice, for providing outstanding assistance in the investigation and successful prosecution of a large drug trafficking case in Lehigh County.
• Awarded the 2011 National Commission on Correctional Health Care – “Facility of the Year.”
• Member of Lehigh County Speaker's Bureau.

• Authored an article for the nationally distributed Corrections Managers' Report titled "MOUDs in Jails and Prisons: An Idea Whose Time Has Come?" Published in the August/September 2024 issue, the article educates correctional managers about the evolving expectations surrounding medications for opioid use disorder.
• Authored an article for the nationally distributed Corrections Managers' Report titled “Time to Review and Update Your ADA Compliance Policies.” Published in the August/September 2020 issue, the article reminds and educates jail administrators about their responsibilities pertaining to the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• Authored the Guest Editorial for the American Jails May/June 2017 national magazine titled "In Keeping Justice Accountable," describing the importance of the overarching principle of justice in our criminal justice system.
• Authored an article for the Corrections Managers' Report titled "What Do We Really Mean by Recidivism Anyway?" Published in February/March 2017, the article discusses the value of good data and the inconsistent definitions and research behind the term.
• Authored article for Corrections Manager’s Report alerting fellow corrections managers about a recent impactful judicial ruling, “Third Circuit Ruling may Discourage Jails from Assisting Immigration Enforcement.” April/May 2014 publication.
• Authored article for American Jail Association magazine highlighting the potential for vast achievements and system improvements through open communication and group discussions among varied criminal justice system practitioners at the local level, titled “A Collective Intelligence,” September/October 2010.