Credit: County of Bucks
The new director of the Bucks County Department of Corrections is certainly familiar with its operations.
David Kratz, who was appointed by the Bucks County Commissioners this week, takes the reins after Chris Pirolli retired from the leadership role in July after working in numerus roles since 1982. Kratz will earn $119,479 annually.
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Kratz has worked for the county corrections department since 2004. He was hired as a correctional officer and rose through the ranks. He served as deputy director since January 2019. Before working in county government, he was employed as a crisis counselor and case manager for Hunterdon Medical Center in Flemington, New Jersey.
Kratz said he was “genuinely honored” to be picked for the job.
“I am proud of the dedicated staff that make the institution run every day and especially through the challenges of the last year with COVID behind the walls and will do my best to support them,” he said.
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The department has been in the spotlight for its battle against COVID-19 inside its walls, the way a Falls Township woman suffering from mental health issues was treated, work to improve inmate reentry into the community, and drugs smuggled into the correctional facility in Doylestown Township.
Kratz will oversee the upcoming opening of the new women’s center.
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Kratz said there is an immediate focus on keeping COVID-19 at bay as the delta variant causes new cases. He said his department is also focusing on increasing programing after the pandemic, keeping up security, and developing and providing training for the staff.
The new corrections director said he has a long-term focuses on improving reentry and increasing HOPE and HEART therapeutic programs for male and female inmates.
“These two programs prior to COVID were showing very positive reductions in re-incarcerations among the graduates and increasing the size is the next logical step,” he said.
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Kratz told LevittownNow.com the department will support the efforts of the court and diversionary programs. Additionally, there will be support for the Bucks County Forensic Center that is designed to divert those dealing with mentally illness from incarceration.
“Unfortunately, many offenders do end up in jail for minor crimes as a result of mental illness and we need to find alternatives to incarceration and get them the help they need that cannot be found in a jail or prison setting,” he said.
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Kratz attended North Penn High School in Lansdale and majored in psychology and political science at East Stroudsburg University.
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