Want to voice your opinion about the proposed closure of Rockview? Public hearing scheduled
Centre County residents will soon have what could be the only in-person opportunity to voice their opinions to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration about the proposed closure of Rockview state prison.
The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections scheduled a public hearing for 5-7 p.m. April 15 at Bald Eagle Area Middle School and High School’s auditorium, 751 S. Eagle Valley Road.
The DOC’s press release did not detail who from the agency is expected to be at the hearing. A spokesperson told the Centre Daily Times it would include “DOC leadership.”
A public hearing about the proposed closure of Quehanna Boot Camp, meanwhile, was scheduled for 5-7 p.m. April 10 at the Karthaus Community Alliance Church, 34136 Frenchville Karthaus Highway, in Clearfield County.
Those who are unable to attend the hearings may also submit comments by email to ra-crdocclose@pa.gov or by phone at 888-316-8950.
Shapiro’s administration has pitched its proposal as a way to save the state tens of millions of dollars in the face of shrinking state prison populations, high vacancy and turnover rates among corrections officers and massive overtime payments.
Rockview is the second-oldest in the DOC system and the agency has said it would require $74 million in upgrades over the next five years if it were to remain open — the highest cost of any state prison.
The DOC’s aging infrastructure statewide is in need of about $250 million in upgrades, meaning Rockview accounts for about 30% of the total.
Chris Oppman, the DOC’s deputy secretary for administration, told state lawmakers at a budget hearing earlier this month that the agency receives only about $50 million per year to pay for long-term infrastructure projects at its two dozen facilities.
“Obviously, that is part of our decision-making,” Oppman testified. “We have to maintain these facilities and we only have so much to invest, only so much money to go around.”
The proposal, however, is not without its critics.
Centre County’s commissioners — made up of two Democrats and a Republican — sent a letter earlier this month to the DOC’s top executive warning of “potential disaster.” They cast the proposal as shortsighted, said the estimated savings were likely illusory and are concerned it could wreak havoc on the workforce and region’s economy.
“In addition to employees and their families, there would be significant harm to the citizens and the economies of Centre, Clearfield, and Clinton counties resulting from these closures,” the commissioners said in the letter. “Ultimately, any savings at the state level are being taken from the local counties in the form of losses. We strongly urge you to reconsider your proposed course of action before a potential disaster occurs.”
State Rep. Paul Takac, D-College Township, said he was ”deeply surprised and concerned” about the proposal. State Sen. Wayne Langerholc Jr., R-Cambia, said he opposes the proposal and will work to “put an end to this ill-conceived notion.”
Pennsylvania State Corrections Officers Association President John Eckenrode, meanwhile, said the union that represents more than 10,000 workers would “vigorously fight against this misguided decision.” The organization scheduled a rally for 10 a.m. April 1 at the state Capitol.
“This proposal ignores how it will devastate the families of our members, who will now have their lives turned upside down, and the local communities that depend on these facilities for jobs and economic development,” Eckenrode said in a statement.
Nearly 660 people are employed at Rockview. If the proposal is implemented, the DOC said every affected staff member will be guaranteed a job offer at their existing pay and classification. It has not, however, made any guarantees about which facility workers would be relocated to or the shift they would work.
Separate from the DOC’s hearings, Takac has scheduled a handful of public forums through early April. The first is scheduled for 5-6:30 p.m. Friday at the Milesburg Community Center, 101 Mill St.