Formal Rockview, Quehanna announcement outlines closure process. What’s next?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Rockview and Quehanna prisons will close by early 2026 after phased transfer plans.
- Nearly 900 staffers are affected; about 2,000 inmates will relocate.
- DOC projects savings over $100 million, citing aging infrastructure and population drop.
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Pennsylvania prison closures
Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration has announced that it will move forward with a proposal to close Rockview state prison and Quehanna Boot Camp. The move is aimed at saving tens of millions of dollars but will affect the lives of hundreds of workers in central Pennsylvania, as well as the local economy.
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Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration formally announced Friday it will close Rockview state prison and Quehanna Boot Camp, a process that will begin immediately and play out over at least the next four months.
About 900 employees will have an opportunity to transfer to another state prison, while about 2,000 inmates will gradually transfer to one of the remaining 22 prisons in the state Department of Corrections system.
The earliest the two facilities could close is Jan. 19. A DOC spokesperson said the actual closure date will be dictated by operational needs.
Shapiro’s administration touted the decision as a way to save the state upward of $100 million in future fiscal years. The DOC also cited a decline in the state prison population as a key factor.
The 110-year-old Rockview is the second-oldest in Pennsylvania’s prison system and the government has said it would have required $74 million in upgrades over the next five years — the highest cost of any state prison.
Department of Corrections Secretary Laurel R. Harry said in a statement that Friday’s announcement came after a “thorough review of stakeholder input and analysis of the impact of closure on staff, department operations, the community, and the incarcerated population.”
The DOC’s release did not include a statement from Shapiro.
Every Rockview and Quehanna employee is guaranteed a job offer at their existing pay and classification, but the DOC has made no promises about shift assignments. They will not lose seniority. Staff members will be surveyed individually to express their transfer preferences, a DOC spokesperson said.
Details of the transfer process will be covered by collective bargaining agreements reached with respective employee bargaining units. The agency’s leadership will be visiting the two facilities to discuss the closure with staff directly.
Inmates will be relocated to facilities that best meet their programming, security and health care needs, the agency said. Boot Camp and other specialized programming, as well as housing units, will also be relocated and continue to operate.
In a memo sent Friday to the men incarcerated at Rockview, the DOC said consideration will be given to the time they have remaining before they’re eligible for parole, anticipated program completion dates and reentry needs.
Some may remain at Rockview or Quehanna to complete their program. Others who can’t complete their program before the prison closes will likely be merged into a similar group at another facility.
Approved visiting lists, telephone lists and cable subscriptions will transfer with inmates.
This story was originally published September 19, 2025 at 11:58 AM.
