Prison warden placed on administrative leave
Commissioners confirmed Monday that Steve Pelesky was placed on leave by the county’s prison board.
By RICH CHOLODOFSKY
TribLive
The warden at Westmoreland County prison, hired two years ago, has been temporarily removed from duty pending an ongoing review of operations.
Commissioners confirmed Monday the Steve Pelesky was placed on leave by the county’s prison board but declined to make public any explanation for the move that was approved late last week “Westmoreland County doesn’t comment on personnel matters,” said Commissioner Doug Chew, who serves as chairman of the prison board.
The county controller’s office said Pelesky, 51, of Ligonier, is still receiving his $97,507 annual salary.
Pelesky did not respond to a request for comment.
The prison board, on which the three county commissioners, Controller Jeff Balzer, District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli and Sheriff James Albert serve, met for more than an hour behind closed doors Monday morning.
Chew said Robert Fagen, the prison’s deputy warden in charge of security, is acting as the top administrator at the Hempfield facility.
“The chain of command is still in place. The deputy warden of security as always will remain second-in-command in cooperation with the deputy warden of operations,” Chew said.
Fagen was originally hired as a part time guard in 2010, elevated to a full time position in 2017 and was tabbed as deputy warden in 2024 when Pelesky was hired as the facility’s new warden.
Pelesky was named warden in February 2024 after serving in the role for about five months on an interim basis following the resignation of Warden Bryan Kline.
Kline, the county’s former elected Clerk of Courts, served about three years as warden following the firing in 2020 of long-time Warden John Walton.
Pelesky’s elevation to the top job came with high praise.
Commissioners credited Pelesky, during his interim tenure as warden with restoring relations between the jail administration and it’s unionized corrections officers and updating operations that officials claimed had struggled under Kline’s leadership.
“He’s done two jobs, his job (as deputy warden for security) and the job of warden, He’s obviously kept the prison running, kept the staff in line and received no complaints at all. He’s done a fantastic job,” Commissioner Sean Kertes said when Pelesky was hired.
