Stanley Fiedorczyk, who was confirmed as Luzerne County’s Correctional Services Division Head Tuesday, approached the podium during the council meeting to commend members of the county Corrections Honor Guard (standing in the front row) for their recent participation a wreath ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. Councilman Steve Coslett, a prior county correctional officer seated at right, also was part of the wreath ceremony in his last act before retiring from the honor guard.
Jennifer Learn-Andes | Times Leader
Stanley Fiedorczyk will head up Correctional Services
Stanley Fiedorczyk is the new overseer of Luzerne County’s Correctional Services Division.
All 10 County Council members attending Tuesday’s meeting confirmed county Manager Romilda Crocamo’s nomination of Fiedorczyk to the division head position at an annual salary of $101,270.
Councilwoman Joanna Bryn Smith was absent Tuesday.
A county prison sergeant, Fiedorczyk has served as interim division head since James Wilbur resigned in March. Crocamo interviewed four applicants for the position.
Fiedorczyk started working at the prison as a per diem corrections officer in 1993 and progressively advanced to resident aide in 1994, corrections officer in 1995, and sergeant in 2007. In 2023, he was promoted to control sergeant, managing the prison population through the coordination of inmate transfers and other monitoring.
“I’m excited,” Fiedorczyk said after the meeting. “As corny as it sounds, I feel I can make a difference.”
He said he has received strong support as the acting head and believes the staff wants to work together to improve the prison system.
Fiedorczyk said he appreciates Crocamo’s trust in his ability to do the job, saying, “I will not let her down.”
Council Chairman Jimmy Sabatino said he and his colleagues are impressed with Fiedorczyk’s work to date.
“I’m glad the vote was unanimous. It shows the great faith we have in the work he will do going forward,” Sabatino said.
The county prison system houses an average of 550 inmates and has been the county’s top departmental expense for many years. Budgeted at $33 million this year, the correctional system includes the prison on Water Street and the nearby minimum offenders building on Reichard Street, both in Wilkes-Barre. The correctional division head also must oversee county juvenile detention and the contracted day reporting center, the job posting said.
In other business on Tuesday, all 10 council members voted to adopt a new strategic and five-year financial plan prepared by the Pennsylvania Economy League.
Council members emphasized they are not required to implement any plan recommendations. Plan adoption makes the county eligible for annual state funding over the next five years to help enact any recommendations it chooses to pursue.
Restoration of a $5 vehicle registration fee and planning for a countywide reassessment are among the financial recommendations in the plan.
Council Chairman Jimmy Sabatino said he does not believe any council members support the $5 fee at this time, particularly amid high gas prices impacting residents.
Council also voted to:
• Earmark annual county matches for public transportation: $915,189 to the county Transportation Authority and $241,267 to Hazleton Public Transit.
• Extend the Luzerne County Community College’s lease six months for space in the county-owned Broad Street Business Exchange building in downtown Hazleton.
Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.
