WAYNE COUNTY CHIEF DEPUTY PAID FOR GIVING HAIRCUTS TO INMATES WHILE ON DUTY

by Douglas DiPalma - July 8, 2026

HONESDALE, Pa. - Wayne County Chief Deputy Sheriff Danene Van Horn received $12,536 in taxpayer-funded compensation for providing haircutting services to inmates inside the Wayne County Correctional Facility, according to records obtained by NEPA News.

Wayne County Commissioner meeting minutes confirm that Van Horn received the payments in compensation for haircut services performed at the Wayne County Correctional Facility since late 2015, with earlier records unavailable and new invoices still being submitted.

A complete accounting of those visits was not possible due to deficiencies in the prison's vendor sign-in records.

However, the records did document at least two occasions in which Van Horn was performing those services while simultaneously clocked in at the Wayne County Sheriff's Office. Both positions - her role as chief deputy sheriff and her work as a prison vendor - are funded by taxpayers.

For example, on January 3, 2025, the Wayne County Sheriff's Office weekly roster assigned Van Horn to office duty from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Payroll records show she clocked in at 7:56 a.m. and remained on the clock until 4 p.m., receiving a full day of regular pay.

A Wayne County Correctional Facility vendor sign-in sheet from that same date shows Van Horn signed into the facility to cut hair at 1400 hours (2 p.m.) while still on duty for the Sheriff's Office, according to time card records. An invoice and payment voucher obtained by NEPA News show Van Horn received $520 for the inmate haircut services associated with that prison visit.

January 3 prison sign-in

On a separate occasion, county records show that on February 28, 2025, Van Horn clocked into her scheduled shift at the Wayne County Sheriff's Office at 7:53 a.m. and remained on the clock until 4 p.m. However, at 1 p.m. that same day, vendor logs from the Wayne County Correctional Facility show Van Horn signed into the prison to provide inmate haircut services.

February 28 prison sign-in

An invoice submitted that same day states that she completed 24 male haircuts, two female haircuts and nine beard trims, generating $439 in compensation before returning to the courthouse to submit the invoice and clock out. The invoice was stamped by the county on February 28. A county pay voucher likewise identifies February 28 as the invoice date and shows the payment was made from the county general fund.

Missing sign-in sheets

NEPA News identified a total of 14 times in which her presence was not documented at all despite being paid for services rendered inside the prison. Under the county's records retention policy, those documents should have existed.

NEPA News also identified one occasion in November 2025 in which Van Horn did not sign the vendor log despite county officials acknowledging she was present at the facility.

In response to a NEPA News Right-to-Know request seeking the sign-in sheet for November 5, Wayne County Chief Clerk Andrew Seder stated in an email dated December 18, 2026:

"We have no responsive record for the vendor sign in page showing her signature on Nov. 5, 2025, the date she was present to cut hair as apparently she did not sign the log for whatever reason."

Of the 22 prison visits reviewed by NEPA News that fell within the records retention period, only two were properly documented. An April 11, 2024 visit and an August 20, 2025, visit were the only ones that included both a sign-in and sign-out times.

Because nearly all prison visits were not properly documented, it was impossible to compare every prison visit against Sheriff's Office schedules and payroll records.

Records reviewed by NEPA News show no vacation leave, personal leave, compensatory time, or unpaid leave associated with either January 3 or February 28. Instead, county payroll records show regular workdays on both dates.

NEPA News spreadsheet created from obtained records

NEPA News identified multiple discrepancies in Van Horn’s vendor sign-in records. One example occurred on April 30, 2025, when Van Horn worked an 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. shift with the Sheriff’s Office. The vendor sign-in sheet shows Van Horn entered the Correctional Facility to cut hair at exactly 1600 (4 p.m.).

April 30 prison sign in

However, records show Van Horn submitted an invoice for services performed that same day, documenting 25 haircuts and eight beard trims. The invoice was stamped by the county on the day those services were provided. In a November 3, 2025, email, Seder confirmed that the invoices were hand-delivered. Because all county offices close by 4:30 p.m., the records raise questions about how the haircut services could have been completed and the invoice hand-delivered and stamped within the final 30 minutes of the business day.

April 30 invoice

Close-up of invoice stamped 4/30/2025

April 30 payment voucher

Surveillance footage

NEPA News also sought surveillance footage from the Wayne County Correctional Facility that showed Van Horn arriving to provide haircut services.

Multiple requests for video records were either denied or met with responses indicating the footage no longer existed, despite documentation suggesting that some of the recordings should have been available.

Wayne County denied a January 7, 2026, request for surveillance footage of Van Horn arriving at the prison and cited security concerns. NEPA News appealed the denial to the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records. On March 11, the Commonwealth ordered the county to release the footage.

During the appeal, Wayne County was asked by the Office of Open Records to provide evidence supporting its asserted security concerns; the county submitted a sworn statement from Wayne County Correctional Facility Warden Randal Williams.

Williams said in his January 28 statement: 

"The cameras at our facility are encased in a tinted dome and neither members of the public nor inmates nor non officer staff know which direction the cameras are pointed, what their capabilities are and how much of an area can be viewed by the camera."

However, imagery of the facility’s camera system shows clear camera housings and directional orientation.

Page 1 of Williams' sworn statement

Photos of the cameras in question

The Office of Open Records’ decision to order the release of the footage marked the first time in Pennsylvania's history that surveillance footage from a correctional facility was released through a right-to-know law appeal.

The video was ultimately produced on the final day of the compliance period, 63 days after initially requesting it. However, the footage (sent via email) appeared compressed and of reduced quality. The image quality noticeably deteriorated as Van Horn opened her vehicle door and exited.

NEPA News followed up with Seder regarding the quality of the surveillance footage. In an April 13 response, he stated:

"This is the copy of the original video we preserved during the length of the entire appeals process. And that’s the quality that it is. It’s not an ultra high resolution system. It shows exactly what you requested. You have been presented precisely what we were ordered to give you. We have no other responsive records to provide. Once more, this case is closed."

However, an online search identified the security cameras as high-end commercial-grade quality. According to the manufacturer's specifications, the two-megapixel cameras record in 1080p at 30 frames per second, which is inconsistent with the quality of the video provided.

Prison video released by Wayne County

Requests for comment

In recent months, NEPA News contacted deputies to ask about the haircutting arrangement and whether Van Horn performed inmate haircut services during her Sheriff's Office shifts.

Two former deputies who did not want to be identified said they were aware of the arrangement that the chief deputy had with the prison, with one saying that they believed that the work was conducted after work or on weekends.

The arrangement between Van Horn and the prison led NEPA News to raise questions about how the inmate haircut contract was awarded. As the highest-ranking deputy in the Sheriff's Office, Van Horn regularly worked with the county prison and its inmates as part of her official duties. 

On June 22, 2026, NEPA News emailed Wayne County Sheriff Christopher Rosler, who also serves on the Wayne County Prison Board. In the email, NEPA News asked for comment on records showing that VanHorn signed into the Wayne County Correctional Facility to perform paid haircut services during the hours in which she was on duty. NEPA News specifically asked whether Rosler was aware of the circumstances, whether any action had or will be taken, and whether he believed the arrangement was appropriate.

In an emailed response, Rosler said;

“The Wayne County Sheriff’s Department vehemently disputes the spurious allegations regarding Chief Deputy Van Horn that are contained in your email correspondence. Please be advised that this Department further specifically reserves any and all rights which it possesses, at law or in equity, including, but not limited to, initiating any action upon a claim of libel, slander, or other claim based upon a theory of defamation of character. Please be guided accordingly.”

The Sheriff did not answer any of the questions posed by NEPA News or provide an explanation for the overlapping work hours.

NEPA News also contacted Van Horn for comment on June 22, giving her more than two weeks to respond to questions about receiving compensation for inmate haircut services performed while on the clock as a deputy sheriff.

As of press time, Van Horn has not responded or offered any explanation regarding the issues.

County records reviewed by NEPA News did not indicate how Van Horn came to be selected for the position or whether other vendors were considered.