Allegheny County contracts with state Department of Corrections for acting warden

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Allegheny County has an acting warden after contracting with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. 

Shane Dady, currently a deputy superintendent with the Department of Corrections, will assume responsibilities of acting warden at the end of business on Sept. 29 when Warden Orlando Harper retires.  

Dady has been with the Department of Corrections since 1999. The county said his work and education have revolved around mental health and therapy, including within the department's system.

The county said contracting for an acting warden is the first step in filling the role long-term. The administration will now work with President Judge Kim Berkeley Clark to identify a search firm that will be tasked with putting together a full profile on the county and jail and giving the information to the next county executive.

"I'm excited to step into the role of acting warden and to work alongside the dedicated staff at the Allegheny County Jail," said Dady in a news release. "Throughout my career, I've had the privilege of collaborating with extraordinary individuals within the state correctional and psychiatric systems, and I look forward to building strong relationships with facility staff, stakeholders, and the community in Allegheny County. I am grateful for the opportunity and wish Warden Harper all the best in retirement."   

The last search for a warden took over a year, the county said.