Longtime Westmoreland prison staffer hired as new deputy warden

The Westmoreland County Prison Board on Thursday promoted a longtime staffer to serve as the facility’s new deputy warden for security.

The board hired Robert Fagan to the position previously held by the jail’s new warden, who was hired in February.

Fagan, 46, of South Huntingdon, was initially hired in 2010 as a corrections officer at the jail and was promoted two years ago to the rank of lieutenant. He takes over the job previously held by Warden Steve Pelesky as one of two deputy wardens.

“He’s an excellent supervisor and knows the prison as well as I do,” Pelesky said of his new deputy. “He has been in charge of maintaining our policies, and he has just shined in every aspect of the job.”

Fagan was one of several candidates considered for the deputy warden job, according to Westmoreland County Commissioner Doug Chew, who serves as prison board chairman.

Chew said Fagan’s appointment completes a revamping of the jail’s leadership that was set in motion after the resignation last fall of former Warden Bryan Kline. Pelesky served as the interim warden for six months before he was hired to formally serve as the facility’s top administrator.

Chew said the jail’s new management has effectively reversed staffing shortfalls that plagued the lockup for several years. Virtually all vacant jobs have been filled in recent months, Chew said.

“I am very happy with the current leadership at the prison. We hope we can now focus on what we can do moving forward, such as improving our reentry programs,” he said.