Folino and team to return to respective facilities after 90-day assignment
HARRISBURG, Pa., June 27, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Corrections Secretary John Wetzel today named Daniel Burns as superintendent at the State Correctional Institution at Pittsburgh.
Burns, 46, of Belle Vernon, will begin his new assignment in August.
In May, Wetzel established a temporary transition team, led by SCI Greene Superintendent Lou Folino, charging them with helping to change the culture of SCI Pittsburgh and ensuring that the prison was operating according to Department of Corrections' policies.
"Dan Burns has an extensive corrections career," Wetzel said. "While serving as interim warden at the Allegheny County Prison since February, Dan has developed many important connections with the community that are vital in helping offenders as they return to society. His being named SCI Pittsburgh's superintendent is a natural transition that allows him to continue his work in the area of offender reentry and to provide meaningful opportunities for individuals to change their lives and to reduce crime in Pennsylvania."
Wetzel noted that Burns also serves on the Allegheny County Criminal Justice Advisory Board, something which Burns plans to continue in his new role as superintendent of SCI Pittsburgh.
The Criminal Justice Advisory Board is made up of three components of criminal justice - corrections, policing and the courts. Members collaborate to improve the delivery of criminal justice services andsolve logistical obstaclesthat might be present among thecomponents. The county prison warden is the spokesperson for the corrections branch and serves a dual role in an advisory capacity and as a resourcefor theadvisory board and stakeholders.
"I would be remiss if I didn't thank Lou Folino, James Eckard, Jay Whitesel and Robert Gilmore for their work at SCI Pittsburgh," Wetzel said. "They will return to their respective facilities in August to continue their corrections careers with my personal appreciation."
Wetzel said that the new deputy superintendents and major of the guard for SCI Pittsburgh would be named at a later date.
Burns began his corrections career as a corrections officer at SCI Graterford in 1989. He was promoted to sergeant in 1994 and to lieutenant at SCI Greene in 1999. While at SCI Greene, he also served as intelligence captain and major of unit management. In 2005, he transferred to SCI Fayette as major of the guard/security. In 2006, Burns was named deputy superintendent for facility management. In 2008, he transferred to SCI Laurel Highlands in the same capacity. For nearly a year, until 2011, he served as the prison's acting superintendent. In February 2011, he was assigned as interim warden at the Allegheny County Prison.
Burns is a member of the American Correctional Association and the Pennsylvania Prison Wardens Association.
Media contact: Susan McNaughton, 717-975-4879
SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Corrections
