After more than a century, Rockview state prison now empty as official closure nears
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Rockview emptied after 110 years; last inmates moved off its roster.
- Shapiro admin frames closures as cost-cutting and to reallocate staff.
- Most union staff accepted offers; 4 resigned/retired and 1 rejected placement.
For perhaps the final time in its 110-year history, all men have been transferred out of Rockview state prison.
The state Department of Corrections said the last inmates were transferred Friday, Feb. 13, ending more than a century of incarceration at the facility that opened in 1915. It is the second-oldest in the state prison system.
An online tool used to find the location of people in state prisons showed about 65 inmates at Rockview as of Wednesday. That number dropped to zero Thursday.
An agency spokesperson told the Centre Daily Times the last inmates in Rockview’s forestry camp were moved to Benner Township state prison’s roster in the system, amounting to an electronic move instead of a physical one.
Quehanna Boot Camp in neighboring Clearfield County saw all of its inmates transferred as of Jan. 28. Both are expected to cease operations by March 1.
Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration has framed the closures as a cost-cutting measure that will save tens of millions in taxpayer money. The proposal drew bipartisan pushback in Centre County.
About 86% of union-represented staff will remain in Centre County or neighboring Clearfield and Huntingdon counties, according to data shared by the DOC.
The largest concentrations are slated for Benner Township state prison — Rockview’s next-door neighbor — and Houtzdale state prison in Clearfield County, which together account for two-thirds of the transfers.
Benner is set to get 263 staff members and 161 are going to Houtzdale, according to the DOC. Smithfield will receive 69 staff, while its next-door neighbor Huntingdon will receive 69. Muncy would receive an additional 53.
No other state prison would receive more than nine staff members.
The DOC said all but five union-represented staff who were offered a position accepted placement. Four resigned or retired during the offer process and one rejected placement. The agency previously said 99% of staff received an offer at their first or second choice.
The Shapiro administration has said reallocating staff could help fill anticipated vacancies and provide “much-needed relief.”
Boot camp services for men will be established at Houtzdale, while services for women will be established at Cambridge Springs state prison in northwestern Pennsylvania.
No decision about the future of either the facilities or the land they sit on has been made, prompting state legislators to push for transparency in the process.
