SCI Rockview, Quehanna Boot Camp to close over four months, PADOC says

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WTAJ) — The State Correctional Institution (SCI) at Rockview and the Quehanna Motivational Boot Camp will begin the process to close, which is expected to happen over the next four months.

The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (PADOC) announced the final decision Friday after months of uncertainty surrounding the facilities. Staff members affected by the closures are guaranteed a job offer at existing pay and classification for nearby correctional facilities, according to the PADOC.

The boot camp, other programs and housing units will continue on but are expected to be moved to other facilities.

“Today’s announcement comes after a thorough review of stakeholder input and analysis of the impact of closure on staff, department operations, the community, and the incarcerated population,” PADOC Secretary Dr. Laurel R. Harry said.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

• Rapid population drop at SCI Rockview suggests closure plans in place
• ‘It’s going to affect us:’ Centre County community reacts to potential prison closures

Officials have cited the decline in inmate population and the need to align resources with current needs as the reason behind the closures, along with saving the state nearly $100 million. However, recent data suggested that SCI Rockview had already been preparing for the closure by moving out over a thousand inmates to other facilities.

Residents in Centre County have also expressed deep concern over the closures, saying they could have a tremendous impact on the community as workers and families potentially move out of the area for other employment.

“Both Centre County and Clearfield County are home to other SCIs – and there are multiple facilities in neighboring counties –providing several opportunities for affected employees to relocate. Department leadership will continue to engage with relevant labor unions to transition staff members to nearby PADOC facilities,” a statement from the PADOC read.

State Senator Wayne Langerholc Jr. (R-35) commented on the closures, saying that the Shapiro Administration failed rural Pennsylvania.

“The governor allowed an unelected bureaucrat to defund our local schools, hurt small businesses, and significantly reduce the safety of our region and our Commonwealth. This decision is shortsighted and destructive, with real-world consequences for our community,” Langerholc said.

The senator continued saying the administration abandoned the corrections officers by “stripping them of their livelihoods and undermining the very system that relies on their courage and discipline.”

WTAJ reached out to several employees for comment on the closures but they declined to speak on camera over fear of retribution or being fired from their jobs. However, one anonymous employee was willing to speak about the situation.

“This is kind of what we’ve been expecting this whole time. They’ve just been jerking us around and not telling us what we already knew, what they wanted to do,” the anonymous employee said. “I think that they pretty much disregarded. There’s been countless representatives, and almost every representative and people in the area wanted to stay open, but they disregarded everything from the meetings and everything that everyone asked of them.”

The employee also shared a simple and pointed message to the PADOC: “I wish you would just stop pretending that you care about your employees, when really you care about your programs and your bottom line.”

According to the PADOC, inmates will gradually move to other facilities that best meet their needs, such as security and healthcare, during the four-month closure. The PADOC says that leaders will visit the two correctional facilities to discuss the closure with personnel.

The PADOC’s final report can be found on their website.