News Detail

Franklin County Provides Updates Following Public Comments About Jail

Jail

October 28, 2025

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. – On Wednesday, Warden Heather Franzoni and Franklin County Jail staff provided the Franklin County Commissioners with an update on ongoing contract negotiations with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and addressed concerns shared during public comment recently. 

During the Franklin County Commissioners’ Oct. 15 public meeting, a number of individuals provided public comment that centered around the perception that the jail’s negotiated contract’s pay scale was too low, the environment was allegedly unsafe, and a work/life imbalance was leading to burnout and low morale. AFSCME representative Julie Marks also presented a union counteroffer to the commissioners’ public comment, which included changes to new hire training, a retention bonus and an increase to base wages for all correctional officers. 

Franzoni first addressed the alleged environmental concerns by reporting her findings after examining safety data. The safety measures the jail tracks, as established by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, indicate that there has been no significant increase in reportable staff assaults, inmate-on-inmate assaults, disturbances or hostage situations. There have been zero reportable disturbances in the past three years. When compared to peer counties with similar inmate populations, Franklin County has lower rates of violence than two of the counties that have four times the incident rate, and there is an absence of disturbances or hostage incidents across all six of the counties compared. Franklin County Jail administration performs emergency drills throughout the year to ensure appropriate response. These drills include, but are not limited to, fire, medical and staff response. 

In addition to examining indicators of safety as established by the commonwealth, Human Resources Director Tiffany Bloyer presented year over year comparisons in staff incident reports and reported that workers’ compensation incidents have decreased by half in 2025 compared to 2024. 

Regarding pay, Bloyer commented that it is true that the starting wages for correctional officers in neighboring larger Dauphin and York counties are higher. However, Franklin County’s starting wage is higher than Adams County and, upon academy graduation, increases by $0.50 per hour, placing the new Franklin County officer at an hourly wage higher than Cumberland County. 

Staff then reviewed the three components of Marks’ public comment counteroffer: changes to new hire training, a retention bonus and an increase to base wages for all officers. 

Franzoni commented that she is open to considering revising the training for new hires once staffing levels allow for such changes. She also noted that the current training schedule was implemented as a result of a request from AFSCME during the previous contract negotiations.   

Marks’ request of an hourly wage increase of $4 for correctional officers beginning in 2026 equates to a 22% impact on the county’s budget and represents a significant regression from the union’s previous counteroffer of a $2.50 per hour increase, equivalent to a 15% budget impact. 

“While we understand the union’s intentions, any increase they are proposing, whether 15% or 22%, is simply not feasible within the county’s budget parameters,” said Franklin County Administrator Carrie Gray.  

Franklin County Commissioner Chairman Dean Horst stated, “Our goal remains the same: to ensure the safety and well-being of our employees while maintaining fiscal responsibility to our taxpayers.” 

Gray highlighted the county’s proposal which recognizes the dedication of longer-term correctional officers by offering incentive pay as well as sizeable increases to their base wages annually during the life of the contract. In addition, the proposal supports substantial wage increases and retention bonuses of $5,000 for future correctional officers as well as those hired in 2025, which is more than double the $2,000 proposed by Marks. In total, the county’s offer equates to over $19,000 more pay during the contract length to officers hired between Jan. 1 and May 1, 2025. Those hired from May 1 to Nov. 30, 2025, would see a $14,000 increase during that same time period.  

Moving forward, the county will work closely with AFSCME and other stakeholders to address these challenges and develop financially responsible solutions. Franklin County remains committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of correctional officers while maintaining fiscal responsibility to taxpayers. Ongoing negotiations aim to address these challenges and develop sustainable solutions for the future.  

The county remains committed to negotiating in good faith and finding a sustainable solution that supports both the correctional officers and county taxpayers. 

“We must clarify that while we value our correctional officers, any proposed increase must be within our financial means,” said Prison Board Chairman and Commissioner John Flannery. “We believe there is a solution that enhances retention while maintaining fiscal stability – it requires compromise and a willingness to try new approaches.”