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Delaware County officials appoint new interim warden at the county jail

Esker Tatum was unanimously approved to lead the prison at a meeting this week.

Esker Tatum will lead the George W Hill Correctional Facility on an interim basis as county officials begin their search for a permanent candidate.
Esker Tatum will lead the George W Hill Correctional Facility on an interim basis as county officials begin their search for a permanent candidate.Read moreDAVID SWANSON / Staff Photographer

The Delaware County Jail Oversight Board appointed a new interim warden to oversee the county jail this week, the first Black executive at the facility in county history.

Esker Tatum, 59, was unanimously approved by the board at its meeting late Wednesday. Tatum replaces Donna Mellon, who served as the interim warden before her retirement Dec. 17.

The George W. Hill Correctional Facility hasn’t had a full-time warden since November 2019, when John Reilly abruptly retired the day after an Inquirer investigation detailed allegations of what his colleagues described as his abusive and racist behavior. Reilly had served as prison superintendent — a position renamed warden under recent changes to the county code — for 11 years.

» READ MORE: Boss of Delaware County’s private jail accused of racism, abuse of power

Tatum previously worked at George W. Hill as a deputy facility administrator employed by the GEO Group, the for-profit firm that operates the jail. Before that, he worked for 25 years with the Federal Bureau of Elections.

“I appreciate the opportunity to contribute to this effort,” Tatum said at the meeting. “I think we have a strong cornerstone here to work from. We can build here.”

Tatum will oversee the jail as it begins to transition from a privately run facility to one under government control. Last month, the county council approved $410,000 in contracts to two firms, CGL Cos. and Alta Management Services, to oversee that process.

» READ MORE: Delaware County is set to pay $410,000 to two firms to help regain control of its embattled, privately run county jail

County Chief Executive Howard Lazarus said Tatum would likely serve through early summer, when the company hopes to begin a wider search for a permanent, full-time warden. Tatum has said he plans to apply for that position.