By Jessica Kenley | Monarch Media

POTTER COUNTY, PA — After five years as the first and only chair of the Potter County Jail Board, Commissioner Paul Heimel announced at the board’s recent meeting that he will step away from the chairmanship, saying it is time for someone else to take the helm.

“I’ve been honored to serve as the first and only chair for five years, but it’s time for someone else to row the boat,” Heimel said.

Heimel told fellow board members that although he had previously indicated he would decline another year as chair, this time he intended to follow through.

The Jail Board was officially established in 2021, following several years of discussion and work to change the way the county’s correctional facility was administered. Previously, the county sheriff also served as warden of the jail, requiring the elected sheriff to take on a second role that Heimel described as only marginally related to the position voters had elected the sheriff to perform.

A vote by the county commissioners created the Jail Board and a full-time warden position, bringing Potter County in line with a system used by most Pennsylvania counties.

Heimel said the board’s accomplishments over the past five years have not been the result of any one individual, but rather the commitment of the entire board, jail leadership and staff.

“I think the record of this Jail Board since its inception has been excellent, not because of who was chair, but because its members have had the foresight, the dedication — and I would add the faith — to make some changes,” he said.

Among the results Heimel pointed to was a declining jail population, which he attributed in part to efforts to help people leave the facility better equipped to cope with life outside of incarceration.

“Lives have been turned around; families have been reunited; crime has been reduced and our communities are safer,” Heimel said. “It’s all heading in the right direction.”

He also emphasized the importance of safety and security at the facility, saying the Potter County Jail has consistently received high marks while implementing measures that go beyond state regulations or standard practices.

Heimel stressed, however, that the progress cannot be attributed solely to the Jail Board.

“It has been a long evolution with many people stepping up to it,” he said.

As Heimel prepared to hand over the gavel, he expressed hope that the board would continue building on the work already accomplished.

“Again, it’s not who occupies the chair; it’s what everyone who serves on this board brings to the table, and how the leadership and staff at the jail carry out the real work,” he said.

New leadership

Following Heimel’s announcement, Commissioner Rossman was nominated to serve as chair for the board’s 2026-27 operating year. The nomination was seconded and approved unanimously.

Board members thanked Heimel for his years of service and praised the board’s relationship with jail leadership and staff.

The board also filled its other leadership positions for the coming year.

Mental-health technology added at jail

One of the meeting’s most notable discussions centered on a new artificial-intelligence-based mental-health counseling service available to inmates through tablets at the jail.

The service, called SimTalk, was described as a value-added service provided at no additional charge under the jail’s existing contract for tablets.

The system allows inmates to engage in conversations with the AI-based counseling program, with the goal of providing an additional avenue for communication and support, particularly when the jail’s mental-health counselor is not available.

According to jail staff, since the program was implemented, 12 inmates had engaged in approximately 15 conversations, with more than 1,000 messages exchanged.

Staff also explained that the system can flag statements indicating a potential suicide risk. When such a statement is detected, an alert can be sent to jail personnel so officers can be notified and check on the inmate.

Board members emphasized that the technology is not intended to replace in-person mental-health services.

Instead, it provides another resource for inmates who may be reluctant to discuss certain issues face-to-face or who need someone to communicate with outside the hours when a mental-health professional is present.

Staff members said inmates who have used the service have responded positively.

The board also discussed the potential value of the technology in helping staff identify concerns that inmates might otherwise be unwilling to share directly.

Reentry efforts continue

Reentry services were another significant portion of the meeting.

Human-services representatives reported continued work to connect people leaving incarceration with housing, transportation, and other community resources.

One example discussed was an individual currently housed at the jail who had completed a housing interview and was expected to enter a housing program.

The board also discussed efforts to improve transportation for people leaving the jail, particularly those who need to reach other destinations, but may not have reliable transportation.

Members noted that transportation assistance can be an important part of preventing people from falling through the cracks after release.

The board also discussed a proposed position connected to indigent defense and reentry services. The position would help people who qualify for indigent defense navigate services and remain connected to their families and community resources during the often-lengthy period between entering the court system and the resolution of their cases.

Officials explained that the program would be funded through a state grant intended to improve indigent defense services.

Facility projects moving forward

The board also received updates on physical improvements at the jail.

A bid has been awarded for the planned sallyport project, with work expected to move forward. Officials also said the jail roof project will be going out for bid.

The board additionally discussed the need to establish clearer policies governing the jail’s technology fund. The fund currently contains approximately $23,531.50, and members agreed that written guidelines would help clarify how the money should be used, particularly for the warden.

The fund is being used to help cover the cost of an officer attending the academy.

New deputy warden approved

The board also approved the hiring of Phillip Seeley as Deputy Warden.

The Deputy Warden position had remained vacant for some time, leaving the Warden to handle both his regular responsibilities and additional administrative duties.

Board members were told that Seeley had previously worked as an officer and had gone through the interview process for the position. His hiring was approved by the board.

Board meetings moving to quarterly schedule

After five years of monthly meetings, the board also voted to move to a quarterly meeting schedule.

Members discussed the fact that monthly meetings had become less necessary as the board’s operations became more established. They noted that special meetings could still be called when necessary, with proper public notice.

The new schedule is expected to provide meetings on a quarterly basis while allowing the board to convene sooner if an urgent matter arises.

As Heimel handed over the chairmanship, his message to the board was one of continuity rather than change for change’s sake.

The board he helped establish has evolved considerably since its creation in 2021, and Heimel said the work now belongs to everyone involved.

“It’s not who occupies the chair,” he said, “it’s what everyone who serves on this board brings to the table, and how the leadership and staff at the jail carry out the real work.”

For Heimel, the end of his tenure as chair marks the closing of one chapter — but not necessarily the end of the work.

The board’s next chapter will begin with new leadership, continued efforts toward rehabilitation and reentry, and an ongoing focus on the safety and security of the Potter County Jail and the communities it serves.