Centre County residents will have an opportunity in April to hear more from the Department of Corrections about the proposed closure of Rockview state prison and voice their comments.
A public hearing on the proposed closure will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on April 15 at the Bald Eagle Area High School/Middle School auditorium, 710 S. Eagle Valley Rd., Wingate.
The department also will hold a public hearing on the potential shuttering Quehanna Boot Camp in Clearfield County from 5 to 7 p.m. on April 10 at Karthaus Community Alliance Church, 34136 Frenchville Karthaus Highway, Karthaus.
Act 133 of 2018 requires at least one public hearing in the county where a public safety facility proposed for closure is located prior to a final decision.
The department on Feb. 10 announced that had accepted a steering committees recommendations and is proposing the closure of Rockview and Quehanna, as well as state-run Community Corrections Centers in Berks and Greene counties, in a move Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration says would save the commonwealth $10 million over the next year and $100 million in the long term.
The 658 staff members at Rockview and 234 at Quehanna would be offered equivalent positions at one of five state correctional institutions located within 67 miles.
DOC officials have said multiple factors went into the recommendation, including declining inmate populations, staff vacancies, the ability to transfer programs and inmates to other institutions and anticipated repair and renovation costs for the two facilities. According to the department, $74 million in repairs and upgrades required over the next five years at the 110-year-old Rockview prison and nearly $6 million at Quehanna.
The proposal has been met with significant pushback by the state corrections officers’ union, families of employees and elected officials.
In a letter opposing the closure of Rockview, Centre County commissioners urged the DOC to reconsider “before a potential disaster occurs,” writing that it would be harmful to staff, most of whom would have to travel outside the county for new positions, and to inmates who would have to integrate into a new facility.
The commissioners also said the closures would be a significant detriment to local economies. Including lost wages, indirect jobs, local purchases and per capita funding, they estimated an economic loss of $117.9 million in the tri-county area including Centre, Clearfield and Clinton.
They added that some of the needed repairs at Rockview cited by the DOC have already occurred or will need to be completed regardless of whether the prison closes.
Another concern raised is the future of Rockview’s 5,700 acres, much of it rolling farmland between the State College and Bellefonte areas. At a state budget hearing in February, DOC Secretary Laurel Harry and Deputy Secretary Christopher Oppman said no plans have been made for the property, but that the state would need to maintain some of it because it also serves the adjacent Benner Township prison.
Representatives for the Pennsylvania Prison Society have said the conditions at Rockview are poor for inmates and staff, and that if done properly the closure could be in the best interest of both.
State level elected officials representing Centre County have been vocal with their concerns about closing the facilities. Among them is state Rep. Paul Takac, D-College Township, whose 82nd District includes Benner Township, where Rockview is located.
Takac is holding is holding five listening sessions for public input that he plans to present to the Shapiro administration, with the first scheduled for Friday.
Takac’s events will take place on the following dates, with each scheduled for 5 to 6:30 p.m.:
- Friday, March 21 — Milesburg Community Center, 101 Mill Street, Milesburg.
- Thursday, March 27 — Howard United Methodist Church, 144 Main Street, Howard.
- Monday, March 31 — Benner Township Municipal Building, 1224 Buffalo Run Road, Bellefonte.
- Wednesday, April 2 — Schlow Public Library, 211 S. Allen St., State College.
- Monday, April 7 — Snow Shoe Township Building, 268 Old Side Road, Clarence.
The proposal is in the midst of a mandatory minimum three-month period for community members to provide feedback, which in addition to the April public hearings can be submitted via email to ra-crdocclose@pa.gov or by leaving a voicemail at 888-316-8950.
