HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Amy Fredricksen just got out of jail after serving 30 days on a drug charge.
"I just went out, filled out paperwork and walked out the door," said Fredricksen.
Fredricksen told Newswatch 16 the Monroe County Correctional Facility staff did allow her to use a phone to try to get a ride but no one she tried to call answered.
So she headed out to find a way back to Stroudsburg, about eight miles from here.
People who live and work near the jail in Hamilton Township tell Newswatch 16 it's common to see newly released inmates wandering around.
"What if they go back and they rape my granddaughter, rape my daughter, or my wife, anybody," said David Huhn of Hamilton Township.
Sometimes they are angry and people worry.
"Something needs to be done for everybody's protection," said Huhn.
Farmer David Huhn is concerned because he's seen former inmates wandering around his farm, which is near a nursing home and a children's soccer field - all in the Snydersville area.
"At any given time there's hundreds of kids there and I fear that you let a pedophile or something out, that's like prime grounds for them," said Huhn.
Warden Gary Haidle told Newswatch 16 when inmates are released they are allowed to call for a ride and he has local bus passes available.
"They are told that they need to find a ride or they need a place to go because they could be rearrested for loitering in public places or for trespassing on private property," said Haidle.
Haidle says he can't force inmates to stay or make them get into someone's car.
"They are not in our authority anymore once they go out of the gate," said Haidle.
Pocono Mountain Harley owner Jim Schlier says several ex-inmates a day ask to use his phone. He worries about them because they are out walking, rain or shine, in cold and heat.
"If it was your cousin or your brother or your sister or your father would you let them walk that," said Schlier.
Monroe County Sheriff Todd Martin feels something needs to change. While his deputies are authorized to drive prisoners, they have no authority to take newly released inmates anywhere.
"Hopefully a solution can be brought up and I'm hoping to be part of the solution," said Martin.
We are taking proper action that we can to resolve the problem and the concern that people have," said Haidle.
The Monroe County Prison Board says its plans to discuss possible solutions at its meeting next month. One thing the board is considering is developing a program that would help inmates pay for an Uber ride when they are released.