Jane Dunbar claims her brother was denied things like proper medical care at George W. Hill prison when it was run by the for-profit GEO Group, writes J.F. Pirro for Main Line Today.

She expects things to change now that Delaware County is once again running the prison.

 County officials hope new drug treatment options, mental health programs and alternatives to incarceration can reduce the prison population to a more manageable 1,000 inmates.

That’s in contrast to the business model used by a for-profit company, which succeeds by keeping the prison population full, says county councilman Kevin Madden, who also serves as Jail Oversight Board Chairman.

Dunbar’s main concern now is a county decision to use three outside contractors to handle medical needs, food, and maintenance. That could be an oversight nightmare, she says.

The county will pay prison workers more and will improve the work environment to attract and retain staff.

 “We’re going to pay people better and create a new environment and expectation of how we expect employees to treat inmates. If you treat someone like an animal, you’re going to get an animal,” Madden says.

Read more at Main Line Today about hopeful plans for the Delaware County prison.