Credit: County of Bucks
The man who started as a 20-year-old prison cook and went on to oversee the Bucks County Department of Corrections is retiring.
Director of Corrections Chris Pirolli, 58, will be leaving county government on Tuesday, July 6. He has worked in the county prison system since 1982. He worked in both the current prison facilities in Doylestown Township and the 1880s-era jail in Doylestown Borough that was closed in the 1980s.
Advertisements
The Bucks County Commissioners thanked Pirolli last week for his nearly four decades of service.
“You have the toughest job in county government,” said Commissioner Gene DiGirolamo, chairman of the Bucks County Prison Oversight Board. “Thank you for your leadership and the good work that you’ve done taking care of vulnerable people (during) some of the worst times of their lives.”
Pirolli moved from cook to dietary supervisor in 1989, lieutenant in 2003, deputy director of facility operations in 2006, and director of corrections in 2017. He oversees more than 300 workers and 800 people who are in county custody.
Advertisements
His time running the department has seen numerous changes and the challenging COVID-19 pandemic. County officials said Pirolli has improved the facilities and shifted the focus from just incarceration to rehabilitation.
During Pirolli’s time running the department, the corrections department faced local and national attention for the way a Falls Township woman suffering from mental health issues was treated.
Advertisements
In a press release, county officials said the corrections department under Pirolli’s leadership implemented the Medication Assisted Treatment Program, the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program, and the H.O.P.E. and H.E.A.R.T. Recovery Programs for prisoners with substance use issues. Officials noted the recovery programs received a Criminal Justice Best Practices Award in 2019 from the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania.
Pirolli played a role in the expansion of the women’s center that is currently under construction.
Report a correction via email | Editorial standards and policies
