ELKTON PRISON Warden of Elkton facility reassigned

The new warden will be here in about two months.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
ELKTON -- John LaManna, 44, warden of Federal Correctional Institution Elkton since the prison opened in 1996, has been reassigned to FCI McKean in Bradford, Pa.
Gary Grimm, FCI Elkton public information officer, said LaManna will begin his duties at McKean in about two months.
McKean FCI is a medium-security facility with about 1,400 male inmates, Grimm said.
"It's all positive," Grimm said of the move, which places LaManna at the helm of a smaller, but higher-security facility.
LaManna oversaw the opening of the Elkton facility amid protests from irate residents who did not want a prison in their back yard.
Many said they feared for their safety and were angry some land for the prison was taken through eminent domain.
The prison, on 320 acres along Scroggs Road, became fully operational in the fall of 1997, housing some 2,500 male inmates in low- and minimum-security housing. Several inmates walked away from the facility since it opened, and residents complained they were not properly notified.
LaManna spoke out against residents' demand for a warning siren, noting such sirens have not been used in federal prisons for more than 20 years.
He said such sirens not only alerted prison staff and neighbors to a problem, but other inmates, which often led to more trouble.
Routine transfer: Grimm said the Federal Bureau of Prisons periodically transfers its management staff for career development purposes and to enhance the operation of its facilities.
The bureau's rotation system for its management staff ensures its top staff are well-prepared to serve in a wide variety of correctional settings to meet the varying needs of the agency, he said.
Replacing LaManna will be Roy L. Morrison, currently associate warden at the United States Penitentiary in Lompoc, Calif.
Morrison, a native of Cleveland, began his 18-year career with the Federal Bureau of Prisons as a correctional officer at FCI El Reno in Oklahoma.
Grimm said Morrison and his family will relocate to the area on LaManna's departure.
While assigned to FCI Elkton, LaManna served as president and board member of the Lisbon Area Chamber of Commerce, chairman of Mahoning Valley Chiefs of Police, and has been a member of Calcutta Rotary, Youngstown Air Reserve Base Community Council and Ohio Valley Law Enforcement Executives.