Community packs church for public hearing on proposed Quehanna Boot Camp closure

CLEARFIELD COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — A state proposal could see the Quehanna Boot Camp in Clearfield County closed and while it’s just a proposal at this time it’s one that has upset the community and state officials.

On Thursday the Department of Corrections held a public hearing at the Karthuas Community Church and heard directly from the community on their concerns.

“In 2024 alone just under 1000 entrants were released from Quehanna. Closing this facility means placing close to a thousand people per year into these higher risk environments jeopardizing their progress and their safety,” An employee said.

State Officials spoke to the DOC representatives about how the closure would be devastating to rural communities, something that they say goes against Governor Shapiro’s efforts.

“We’re fighting day after day to keep rural PA growing and striving and sometimes we do need a little bit of help from the administration in Harrisburg, which sometimes we don’t know if they really truly want to see rural PA grow. Here we are set as you want to consider closing the facility that has spoken for itself for the success it has,” Representative Mike Armanini (75th district) said.

Other officials, like Senator Wayne Langerholc, spoke on their visits to the boot camp and the success he’s seen from it.

“I’ve had the honor and the privilege of speaking to the graduating class, of touring the facility, of walking the halls, of talking to the inmates, of seeing the respect, seeing the discipline, seeing the product that is turned out by the countless hours of work and toil of these brave men and women. I’ve seen it. The state has seen it,” Langerholc said.

Langerholc speaking on behalf of the boot camp also comes after he proposed legislation that would modernize Pennsylvania’s motivational boot camp statute to try and keep the high-performing facility in operation.’

His bill would update the Department of Corrections motivational boot camp program, which has one of the lowest reoffending rates in Pennsylvania and produces a significant number of GED graduates and vocational certificate holders. He noted that Quehanna accounted for 30% of all GEDs awarded across the state’s 24 correctional institutions.

Community members added that they feel that the location and structure of the camp are why so many inmates see significant growth.

“It’s a safe environment where individuals can truly focus on change. Research shows by placing low risk individuals in these high risk environments lead to serious outcomes. That’s why the therapeutic community model is so effective at Quehanna. It centers on community separateness and allows the entrance space to heal and grow,” A community member said.

The DOC did not respond directly to the public’s comments, however, they said that they would take them into account.