Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration is poised to move forward with closures of Rockview state prison in Centre County and Quehanna Boot Camp in neighboring Clearfield County.
The Department of Corrections on Wednesday issued its final report and recommendation to close the facilities, citing declining inmate populations and savings of tens of millions of dollars. A final decision will be announced by the end of the week, and the closures could occur by January.
The DOC has said that Rockview, located in College and Benner townships, requires $74 million in repairs and upgrades over the next five years and Quehanna, in Karthaus, needs more than $6 million — figures that some local elected officials have questioned. The closures would save the commonwealth $100 million in the long term, the administration says.
The recommendation comes seven months after the administration proposed the closures and four months after a decision was originally expected.
Since then, the proposal has been met with widespread pushback from officials across the political spectrum, as well as employees and community members. At public hearings and listening sessions and in public statements, many have roundly urged the administration to rethink the decision.
State Rep. Paul Takac, D-College Township, whose district includes Rockview, said on Wednesday that he is “thoroughly disappointed, frustrated and angry,” and that he would urge Shapiro and DOC Secretary Laurel Harry to reverse course. Takac held multiple public forums about the proposal and said he has had dozens of meetings and conversations with the administration and state agencies “to try to prevent this from happening and to mitigate the harm that it would cause.”
“Unfortunately, those arguments fell on deaf ears, and we are left with this misguided decision made by out-of-touch bureaucrats in Harrisburg who failed to meaningfully engage with the public beyond minimum requirements and who did not even care to visit the facilities before recommending their closure,” Takac said.
The more than 650 employees at the 110-year-old Rockview, the second-oldest in Pennsylvania’s prison system, and 230 at Quehanna will be guaranteed jobs at their existing pay and classification at another facility within 67 miles. But families say that such a move could wreak havoc on their lives, with most staff needing to drive at least an hour in each direction to their new location.
Takac called the decision a “a slap in the face to the brave, hard-working officers and staff who not only keep us safe but also help the incarcerated people in their custody and care.”
“This decision will have devastating consequences for many families and our local communities,” Takac said. “It will take an incredible personal toll on the workers and their families. The longer, more costly, and more dangerous commutes these workers may have if transferred to another facility will also impact responsibilities and opportunities to give back to others, such as volunteering for the local fire and EMS services and community organizations.”
Centre County’s Board of Commissioners estimated the closures would cause an economic loss of $117.9 million in the tri-county area including Centre, Clearfield and Clinton, including lost wages, indirect jobs, local purchases and per capita funding.
“If these facilities are closed, it will have a negative impact on the staff, their families but also our local communities and economy,” Board of Commissioners Chair Mark Higgins said earlier this year.
State Rep. Scott Conklin, D-Rush Township, said on Wednesday that the decision is “a gut-punch for our area.”
“Rockview and Quehanna are both professionally operated by dedicated officers and staff, most of whom are our friends, neighbors and family,” Conklin said. “Although these facilities are outside of my district, I worked in a bipartisan manner in the fight to save these institutions. Based on the reports I reviewed, which gave Rockview and Quehanna high marks, this decision makes absolutely no sense. I stand ready to support my colleagues, the corrections officers, staff, and their families in the difficult days ahead.””
Commissioners and others also voiced concerns that the closure would have a detrimental impact on the safety and wellbeing of inmates, as well as remove them from specialized programs at Rockview. The DOC says that other locations have “more than adequate capacity” to accommodate the number of Rockview inmates in specialized treatment units, and contends that consolidating the population into fewer facilities will ultimately reduce staffing strains while maintaining safety.
“This decision also hurts the inmates by disrupting continuity of care, from healthcare services to behavioral or mental health treatment, to participating in rehabilitative programs,” Takac said. “Many will be forced to reintegrate and re-acclimate in a new facility, which could have serious physical and emotional consequences.”
The Pennsylvania Prison Society has said that if done correctly, the closures could be beneficial for staff and inmates. Janet Irons, a convener for the society, said in February that infrastructure at Rockview is in poor condition
Inmates will be “gradually transferred to facilities that best meet their individualized programming, security, healthcare and other needs,” the DOC wrote on Wednesday. Specialized programming and housing units and boot camp operations will also be transferred to other facilities.
Rockview had 1,853 inmates as of July and a capacity for 2,544, according to the most recently available DOC data. Quehanna had 310 with a capacity for 612.
With more than 5,700 acres, Rockview is by far the largest Pennsylvania prison in terms of land. The Shapiro administration has not indicated what it plans to do with the property — much of it rolling farmland between the State College and Bellefonte areas — but DOC Secretary Laurel Harry and Deputy Secretary Christopher Oppman said at a budget hearing earlier this year that the commonwealth would need to maintain some of it because it serves the adjacent Benner Township state prison.
“I think there needs to be some very, very, very serious conversations, and I’m hoping with this organization, as to the outcome and the use of this property moving forward.” Commissioner Steve Dershem said earlier this year. “I’m hoping it’s not just a land grab and just go out there and figure out how we’re going to give this property away. We need to be thoughtful about it because this is the largest piece of property in the county that’s really unaccounted for. It is huge. It goes from a mountainside to a creekbed.”
If the administration does not change course, Takac said on Wednesday, any divestiture of Rockview land must be “fully open and transparent.”
“I will continue to insist that the state not make backroom sweetheart deals or fail to receive fair value or compensation for any land transfers or sales,” he said. “Further, any future uses or transfers must take into account a significant public and community benefit because that land belongs to us, the people of Pennsylvania, held in trust, and any future changes or decisions must fully take that into account.
“I insist that the costs of moth-balling and ongoing maintenance be minimal and that the facilities will not become abandoned and blighted, or ever become a burden borne by local taxpayers.”
