(This article first appeared in Broad + Liberty)
A prison employee at the Delaware County prison is currently under investigation for smuggling contraband into the facility, but the same employee also served time in the county in the 1990s for felony charges for the manufacture or possession of controlled substances.
When asked about the incident, the county says it now has a “second chance” policy where it will hire felons to work at the George W. Hill Correctional Facility provided the person’s criminal behavior is far enough in the past.
Broad + Liberty obtained a copy of a “serious incident report” showing that prison officials stopped Roger Prattis “based on intelligence suggesting he was introducing contraband into the facility.”
The incident report notes that investigators claim to have found a “Ziplock bag containing loose cigarettes,” and a search of Prattis’s car yielded other items that investigators are still researching. For example, the report said it found a “heavily stained sheet of paper found in a folder the employee brought into the facility[.]” Drugs can sometimes be smuggled into a prison by soaking the substance into paper where it can later be smoked or ingested orally.
A court document indicates law enforcement officials charged Prattis for the possession or manufacture of drugs in 1993. He entered a guilty plea and was sentenced in January of 1994 to a minimum of three months or a maximum of 23 months.
The county will soon be marking the third anniversary of the government taking back management of the GWHCF after the prison was run by private contractors for almost three decades.
In a statement from a spokesperson, the county said it is open to hiring persons with criminal records, even when that person is applying to work at the prison.
“Mr. Prattis, who was hired as a laundry technician on July 25, 2024, disclosed his prior conviction from the 1990s during our comprehensive hiring process. His employment was granted based on a thorough evaluation of his rehabilitation and the absence of continued criminal behavior over the last three decades,” the spokesperson said. “Delaware County does not have a policy of categorically excluding individuals with past felony convictions from employment because we believe in rehabilitation and providing second chances, which aligns with our broader commitment to support reintegration of formerly incarcerated individuals into the community.
“The incident on December 19, 2024, in which contraband was allegedly introduced into GWH, is currently under rigorous investigation. We take such incidents seriously and are dedicated to maintaining the security and safety of all facilities under our jurisdiction. Mr. Prattis’s hiring reflects our belief that individuals can positively transform their lives and contribute to society if given the opportunity.
“As we move forward, Delaware County will continue to assess and refine our employment practices to ensure they are both fair and effective in fostering a safe and rehabilitative environment. This commitment includes ongoing training for all staff to uphold our policies and procedures. We remain dedicated to transparency and accountability in all aspects of our operations and will provide updates on the matter as they become available.
“We thank you for bringing this matter to our attention and assure you that we are taking every step necessary to address it appropriately,” the spokesperson concluded.
It’s not currently clear whether the last prison operator before the county — in this case, the GEO group — had any policy about hiring persons with criminal backgrounds.
The investigation of a prison employee who is also a felon is yet another attention grabbing incident since the county took over management of the facility in March of 2022.
Last January, two other employees were arrested for allegedly smuggling fentanyl into the prison. On two different occasions since the government-management takeover, the prison allowed the wrong person to be released.
More serious incidents also have not only shaken the prison but also threaten to force the county into serious liability payouts.
For example, the prison is facing a lawsuit by the estate of a man who is widely believed to have been murdered by his cellmate just weeks after the county took over the facility. In another case, the mother of an inmate who took his own life in June of 2022 is also suing the county.
Meanwhile, the prison budget has grown dramatically since the county takeover.
In the last complete year in which a private operator ran the facility, the county’s outlays for the prison were $47.3 million. In the upcoming 2025 budget, the county plans to spend $59.3 million running the facility, according to the 2025 proposed budget.
