Mechanicsburg, PA – Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Secretary Dr. Laurel R. Harry announced today that the Department has submitted its final report on the proposed closures of SCI Rockview and the Quehanna Boot Camp to Governor Josh Shapiro and the Majority and Minority Leaders of the Pennsylvania House and Senate.
The report, which is available on the Department’s website, recommends the closure of both facilities as a result of a decline in the incarcerated population in order to align Department resources with current needs. The closures would save the Commonwealth up to $100 million in future fiscal years.
Upon any facility closures, every employee at SCI Rockview and Quehanna Boot Camp would be guaranteed a job offer at their existing pay and classification levels. 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.
The incarcerated population would be gradually transferred to facilities that best meet their individualized programming, security, healthcare and other needs. Boot Camp and other specialized programming and housing units would be relocated to other facilities and continue to operate.
The report also details the department’s outreach to stakeholders and information, analysis, and feedback received during the deliberation process. Contributors included:
- Employee bargaining units
- Local elected officials
- Commonwealth agencies
- The general public, via a dedicated email and phone number as well as public hearings held in Clearfield and Centre Counties
- Members of the incarcerated population
Per the Public Safety Facilities Act (Act 133 of 2018), the closure decision must be announced after the submission of this report. Accordingly, the final decision will be announced by the end of this week.
