Hale

HOLLIDAYSBURG — Matthew Hale was hired as the county’s new prison warden during the Blair County Prison Board meeting Thursday morning, ending a monthslong search that began with the resignation of former Warden Abbie Tate in early June.

The current deputy warden of facility management at the Bedford County Correctional Facility, Hale will become the Blair County Prison warden effective Oct. 6. He will be taking over for Interim Warden Shaun Edmundson, who has been acting in that capacity since Tate’s resignation.

Hale has worked as deputy warden at Bedford since 2021, but started out as a corrections officer in 2006 in Cambria County. In regard to his decision to apply and interview for the Blair County warden position, Hale said he had been working toward a warden position and would like to change the public’s view of corrections.

“I would just like to make it a good place to do what we do,” Hale said. “I’d like to reduce recidivism and create a good culture for the employees and inmates.”

While a native of Jackson, Tennessee, Hale has lived in Blair County for about half his life. During his time in Tennessee, he studied psychology at Tennessee State University.

He said that experience made him “definitely more treatment-minded.”

“I believe we can reduce the number of people we need to put in jail and can get people back to the point where they don’t need to be put in jail,” Hale said.

When asked about the prison’s long list of issues and incidents, such as million dollar lawsuits, inmate overcrowding, aged equipment, ongoing maintenance, assaults, contraband, hooch and a lack of rodent control within the facility built in 1868-69, with additions and renovations in 1983, 1990 and 2004, Hale said he’s “not afraid of a challenge.”

“I do think there are going to be challenges,” Hale said. “I don’t think they are insurmountable. I think the challenges are going to be something we tackle one thing at a time.”

Hale said his first steps as warden would be to gain basic knowledge of the jail, as it takes time to integrate into and understand a facility’s processes. Then he would make improvements, adjust procedures and implement policies based on what he’d deem necessary.

“I am the kind of person who isn’t afraid of taking on challenges or putting my corrections philosophy out there,” Hale said. “I am interested in starting out sort of fresh and moving forward to get the county to a place where we are respected.”

Edmundson said he has known Hale since they both began in corrections and looked forward to working with him again, a sentiment which Hale shared.

“I’m excited to work with (Edmundson) and everyone else who works there,” Hale said. “I’m looking forward to the opportunity and can’t wait to get started.”

Prison Board secretary A.C. Stickel expressed “deep gratitude” toward Edmundson and fellow Deputy Warden Cory Yedlosky “for their incredible work throughout this much longer than hoped for transition.”

“We have our challenges,” Stickel said. “I am very, very grateful for your efforts, Shaun, in keeping that sinking ship afloat for the past few months and I look forward to our continued strong relationship.”

District Attorney and prison board member Pete Weeks agreed, saying while there’s a lot of work to be done at the prison, a lot of work has been done and continues to be done that was started by Edmundson and Yedlosky.

“I’ve always enjoyed a fantastic working relationship particularly with Edmundson because of the length of time he’s been here and he’s one of the people I think law enforcement as a whole trusts,” Weeks said.

While Edmundson said he appreciated the board’s acknowledgment, he was grateful for the prison’s employees and staff.

“I would just like to recognize everyone that’s employed and chooses to work in that facility,” Edmundson said. “I certainly couldn’t do it without all of them. They certainly helped me get to where I am, so I will never forget that.”

Mirror Staff Writer Rachel Foor-Musselman is at 814-946-7458.