Rockview state prison’s inmate population continues to drop as closure nears
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- State officials plan closures at Rockview and Quehanna, no date set yet.
- Prisons operate below capacity: Rockview 20% and Quehanna 14.5% occupancy.
- State shifts inmates and programs; administration cites tens of millions in savings.
The agency that manages Pennsylvania’s prison system said Friday it has not yet established a closing date for either Rockview state prison or Quehanna Boot Camp.
The soonest the facilities could close is Jan. 19. Though it remains unclear how much time each has left, population reports from the state Department of Corrections show each facility is preparing to say farewell.
There were 509 men incarcerated as of the end of December at Rockview, leaving the facility at 20% of its capacity. There were only 89 people at the boot camp at the same time, amounting to 14.5% of its capacity.
None of the other 22 state prisons are below 62% capacity, according to the latest population report released Friday. The entire state prison system is at about 80% capacity.
Hundreds of workers and their families are poised to either retire, transfer to other facilities in central Pennsylvania or look for work outside of the DOC. Every affected staff member — more than 900 people were employed at Rockview and Quehanna this spring — is guaranteed a job offer at their existing pay and classification, though many expressed concerns about potential distance from their current location.
Any personnel losses at the state level could be a boon for the Centre County Correctional Facility, which has long been understaffed like many other county jails in Pennsylvania. Warden Glenn Irwin told the Centre Daily Times on Friday the facility is down 10 officers from its full-time complement, or about 14%.
“We are actively recruiting and conducting interviews for Officers,” Irwin wrote in an email. “We would welcome any Officers from SCI Rockview to apply and come in for an interview with us at the Centre County Correctional Facility.”
Inmates have gradually been transferred to other prisons. Boot camp services for men will be established at Houtzdale state prison in Clearfield County, while services for women will be established at Cambridge Springs state prison in northwestern Pennsylvania.
Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration has framed the closures as a cost-cutting measure aimed at saving tens of millions in taxpayer money. Rockview opened in 1915, making it Pennsylvania’s second-oldest prison.