Nocton Named Franklin County’s September Employee Of The Month

Pictured (from left): Franklin County Jail Warden Bill Bechtold, Franklin County Commissioner Chairman Dave Keller, September Employee of the Month Joshua Nocton and Commissioner Bob Ziobrowski

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. – The Franklin County Commissioners proudly presented the September 2022 Employee of the Month award to Joshua Nocton during the board’s Sept. 28 public meeting. Nocton has been employed with Franklin County since August 2021 and currently serves as a correctional officer at the Franklin County Jail.

September’s Employee of the Month recipient was determined by the Special Thanks and Recognition (STAR) Committee, which received 16 nominations for the September award, two of which were for Nocton. When nominating a coworker, employees are asked to cite an event or instance that elevated an individual to Employee of the Month status. Both forms spoke of Nocton’s intuitiveness and quick-thinking abilities.

“Due to Officer Nocton’s training and alertness, he became alert of the behavior of two inmates,” said one nomination form. “Officer Nocton found inmates trying to pass drugs on a unit. He located the drugs and kept them from being passed onto other inmates. His actions may have saved the lives of others.”

“Officer Nocton is quiet and hardworking and gets the job done,” said another colleague. “He is very reliable and trustworthy. However, he is also so detailed that he doesn’t stop at routine inspections or walk-arounds; Officer Nocton goes way above and beyond. He not only uses the skills he has learned through training, but he also uses his own intuition, and it is a good thing he does. Due to these extraordinary skills, Officer Nocton has discovered or handled several medical emergencies, and thanks to his quick thinking and reactions, inmates have made a full recovery.”

The nomination continued, “He has found multiple forms of contraband, ranging from suboxone to shanks. Though this is part of his job, the extent of how Officer Nocton finds items is extraordinary. An officer has to get down on his or her hands and knees, touching items that could be soiled, pulling things apart and putting themselves in positions and situations that are not pleasant, to find these hidden items.”

“Officer Nocton’s latest find was amazing,” said the form. “An inmate had asked Officer Nocton to pass the cleaning supplies. Officer Nocton felt something was off and investigated the cleaning supply caddy. At first glance, he didn’t find anything, but his persistence paid off. Officer Nocton noticed an incredibly small decolorization in the spray bottle tube and discovered drugs were about to be passed. His willingness to continue to go above and beyond the normal routine review helped him discover this contraband. Officer Nocton’s findings could have well prevented another inmate from overdosing.

“Officer Nocton continuously strives for perfection,” the nomination concluded. “He is one that you want to protect and serve Franklin County.”

Noctons outstanding characteristics are attributes that have not gone unnoticed by his peers. The nomination forms describe him as meticulous, extremely observant and aware with an abundance of integrity.

The Franklin County Commissioners congratulated Nocton for his recognition and thanked him for his excellent work and for exuding such a high standard of customer service, excellence and respect to the employees and residents of Franklin County.

Return to list.