Centre County lawmaker asks peers to join in fight to keep Rockview, Quehanna open
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- Rep. Conklin introduced a resolution opposing closure of two state facilities.
- Rockview and Quehanna employ 850 workers and support Centre County’s economy.
- State cites shrinking prison population and high costs as reasons for closure.
A Centre County legislator introduced a resolution Monday asking his fellow lawmakers to put their support behind calls for Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration to back off its proposal to close Rockview state prison and Quehanna Boot Camp.
State Rep. Scott Conklin, D-Rush Township, asked his fellow House members to sign onto the resolution that would also encourage Shapiro’s administration to assess the long-term value of maintaining the two facilities.
“Closing Rockview Penitentiary and Quehanna Boot Camp would have immediate, negative consequences for our residents, our community and our economy,” Conklin said in a statement. “Beyond serving a critical public safety role in securing and rehabilitating offenders, these facilities have served our region for more than a century and are major area employers.”
Resolutions, if adopted, are largely symbolic expressions of the opinion of lawmakers. They are not binding laws.
No matter how many of the 203 House members sign the resolution, it figures to be another data point for Shapiro to consider as hundreds of families wait for closure.
“This resolution will clearly demonstrate to the administration where lawmakers stand and can be used as another instrument of information in weighing this hefty decision,” Conklin said.
State Rep. Paul Takac, D-College Township, said Tuesday he supports the intention of Conklin’s resolution, which in many ways reiterates what elected officials have said publicly for months. In his latest statement, Takac cast the state Department of Corrections’ proposal as “misguided and ill-advised.”
But he also expressed concern that the resolution could give people false hope.
“Because House resolutions do not carry the weight of law, I do worry that the ultimate impact of what is essentially a symbolic resolution could be misinterpreted and give a false sense of hope to employees and families who have already been suffering in limbo for months,” Takac told the Centre Daily Times.
He said his primary focus is on “productive dialogue, engagement, and direct advocacy with the Department and Administration to make the positive case for keeping these exemplary institutions open so that they can continue fulfilling their mission of rehabilitation and keeping us safe.”
Shapiro’s administration has pitched its proposal as a way to save tens of millions in the face of shrinking state prison populations, high vacancy and turnover rates among corrections officers and massive overtime payments.
The two facilities employ about 850 people. If the state DOC follows through with the proposal, it is believed it would be the largest closure since 2003 in Centre County.
Rockview is the second-oldest among the nearly two dozen in the DOC system and the agency has said it would require $74 million in upgrades over the next five years — the highest cost of any state prison.
The proposal has been deeply unpopular in Centre County, where a bipartisan group of state lawmakers, the county’s commissioners and the union that represents corrections officers are among those who have repeatedly urged the state to reconsider for about five months.
Employee transfers could cause serious challenges for families who have carefully coordinated their schedules around child care, schooling and more. The DOC has said all affected employees will be guaranteed a job offer at their existing pay and classification at a facility within 67 miles of Rockview, but has made no promises about shift assignments. Workers may also face longer commutes.
“Beyond the effects to our workforce and regional economy, closing these facilities would upend the progress of rehabilitation efforts that are working to help people in the justice system return to their families and productive lives in the community,” Conklin said. “Before these institutions are closed for good, I implore the governor and state correctional officials to consider the very real human costs to our region and the impact on lives.”
It remains unclear when Shapiro’s administration will announce its decision, which will come at least a month after its self-imposed May 31 deadline. A DOC spokeswoman said Monday that “nothing has changed” and the decision is still pending.
This story was originally published July 8, 2025 at 3:41 PM.