CHAMBERSBURG – The Franklin County Jail is restructuring its leadership and rolling out short-term incentives in response to ongoing staffing shortages after a series of actions approved by the county’s salary board last week.
The board approved reclassifying the jail’s Major position to Correctional Security Supervisor (Captain). The move eliminates one lieutenant position, creating an estimated annual savings of about $123,000. Warden Heather Franzoni said the change is aimed at strengthening mid-level management, improving oversight of front-line supervisors and clarifying the jail’s chain of command.
“This is not just a title change,” Franzoni told the board. “It reflects an operational need for strong, hands-on leadership in our correctional facility.”
Incentives to bolster staffing
To help fill gaps during the shortage, commissioners approved a 90-day staffing incentive program. Employees from the sheriff’s office, adult and juvenile probation and certain exempt positions, along with current correctional officers, can receive $50 for four hours of additional coverage or $100 for eight hours. The program began Aug. 14 and will be funded within the jail’s current budget.
Commissioners praised the warden and her leadership team for declining to include themselves in the incentive program.
Performance bonus for warden
The board also voted to award Fisone a $6,000 performance bonus as part of a pay structure approved last year that links compensation to specific goals. While staffing targets were not fully met and American Correctional Association accreditation remains pending due to a statewide program closure, commissioners said the warden met the “spirit” of the plan through efforts to stabilize the facility and prepare for accreditation once available.
Public calls for higher pay
During public comment, Valerie Jordan voiced support for fully funding the jail, calling it “a social service” that should be staffed and resourced for both employees and inmates. She cited a 75 percent turnover rate in new hires, attributing it primarily to low pay.
Jordan urged the county to boost pay across all job descriptions, warning that losing trained employees to other counties raises recruitment and training costs. She shared her personal history, including a time when she experienced homelessness, to underscore the importance of investing in county workers.
“We need to pay our county people better,” she said, pledging to use public records requests if necessary to push for higher wages.
