By Ford Turner
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
HARRISBURG, Pa. — The administration of Gov. Josh Shapiro on Monday identified two state prisons — located in Centre and Clearfield counties — that it wants to close as part of a new financial belt-tightening initiative, but it also said it would close a community corrections center in Greene County and another elsewhere.
The moves came after Mr. Shapiro in his budget address last week described the initiative and, without naming them, said a recommendation on closure of two state prisons would be forthcoming. On Monday, the Department of Corrections said they were SCI-Rockview in Centre County and Quehanna Boot Camp in Clearfield County.
At the same time, the department said it would close Progress Community Corrections Center in Waynesburg, Greene County, as well as Wernersville Community Corrections Center in Berks County. In a news release, the department said that if all four closures come about, the state could save $10 million next fiscal year.
The recommendation to close the two state prisons initiates a required three-month comment period before a final decision is rendered. The two community corrections centers are not subject to that requirement, the department said, and will close in about three months.
Corrections Secretary Laurel R. Harry said every staff member at the two prisons would be “guaranteed an offer of a job at their existing pay and classification” elsewhere. The department also said it would find suitable placements for staffers at the two community corrections centers.
The Pennsylvania State Corrections Officers Association ripped the proposal.
“As we said last week, the department was conducting a dog-and-pony show because they already knew what facilities they wanted to close. Instead, they tried to hide it by creating a so-called ‘DOC Steering Committee’ and hiring an out-of-state consultant to recommend which prisons to close,” said PSCOA President John Eckenrode.
He said the union would fight what he called a “misguided” decision and said the resultant reassignment of inmates would create “powder kegs of trouble” at other facilities. “Saving money at the expense of the safety of our members is too high a price to pay,” Mr. Eckenrode said.
The Rockview prison population is about 2,148, with a capacity of 2,541, and it employs 658 people. Quehanna has about 348 inmates with a capacity of 612, and it employs 234.
The Progress facility in Waynesburg is an intensive treatment facility designed to help inmates with reintegration back into the community. It is in the district of state Rep. Bud Cook, R- Washington, who on Monday said the announcement was a surprise.
“This came out of left field,” he said. “It seems like a top-down decision from Harrisburg, down to the community.”
Sen. Wayne Langerholc, R- Cambria, said he would oppose the recommended prison closures.
“The governor’s budget certainly had no lack of increased spending to benefit his core supporting industries,” Mr. Langerholc said. “Now he deals a blow to small rural counties to fund his inflated spending plan. Quehanna Boot Camp and SCI Rockview are well established, well-functioning, efficient facilities.”
Early in his budget comments last week, Mr. Shapiro said he had directed Budget Secretary Uri Monson to start a “comprehensive review of every program we offer” in state government. The administration has dubbed the initiative Resource Evaluation and Mission Alignment Project, or REMAP.
Mr. Shapiro said it would identify inefficiencies and costs that can be eliminated. His corrections secretary, Ms. Harry, on Monday said the review of the recommended prison closures would be done “in a manner that is transparent and considerate of everyone impacted.”
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