This story originally appeared in The Centre County Gazette.
BELLEFONTE — The Centre County Prison Board on April 9 heard updates on facility compliance, population trends and ongoing challenges tied to mental health, substance use and reentry efforts, while also highlighting ongoing staffing needs at the county correctional facility.
Warden Glenn Irwin reported the prison recently completed a Department of Justice audit and remains fully compliant with federal Prison Rape Elimination Act standards.
“The facility has always followed and been in compliance with the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA),” Irwin said in a follow up email to The Centre County Gazette. “Our facility has met or exceeded expectations in the following areas: zero tolerance of sexual abuse and harassment, facility technologies, employee training, volunteer and contractor training, risk screenings for victimization, education of the incarcerated population and investigation of any complaints that are received.”
The audit, conducted every three years, evaluates compliance with federal standards designed to prevent abuse and ensure safety within correctional institutions.
Board members also reviewed population data with Irwin reporting earlier in the meeting that inmate totals dipped below 100 at points in March.
“This does appear to be a growing trend for our area,” Irwin said. “The trend is in part the result of fewer people being incarcerated for new crimes in recent years. In addition, state probation laws have continued to develop, leading to fewer re-incarcerations for violations of probation rules.”
Mental health needs remain a significant focus, with half of the facility’s population actively receiving treatment and 20% classified as having severe needs.
“Increases in mental health crises and treatment are not unique to Centre County,” Irwin said. “Statewide, we are seeing growing needs for increased mental health treatment and for programs that prevent people experiencing mental health crises from being unnecessarily incarcerated.”
Irwin said the facility provides psychiatric services through PrimeCare Medical, along with in-house counseling and trained staff equipped to respond to crises.
Reentry efforts continue to be shaped by population trends, particularly a lower number of sentenced inmates eligible for outside work programs.
“Our re-entry process begins as soon as a person is incarcerated,” Irwin said, noting assessments guide programming based on individual risk and need. “Before county inmates are considered for outside work, our facility’s Re-Entry Counselor reviews each inmate to determine any risk threats.”
The prison is also housing inmates from other counties, including Blair County, as part of regional partnerships to address overcrowding.
“Some counties have small facilities or limited space, which leads to population overflow, so we partner with a number of counties to alleviate that overflow,” Irwin said.
Irwin said the facility works with other wardens to determine needs and evaluates its own staffing levels before accepting inmates. The county charges $75 per day per out-of-county inmate, with those counties responsible for medical and related costs.
“The revenue received from these partnerships provides a small offset to the Centre County Correctional Facility’s budget,” Irwin said.
Alongside operational updates, Irwin said the facility is currently hiring correctional officers.
The starting rate for new officers is $22.59 per hour, with benefits including health care, vision, dental, retirement and paid time off. Those interested can visit centrecountypa.gov for more information.
The next Centre County Prison Board meeting is scheduled for May 14 at 8 a.m.
