Advocates ‘cautiously optimistic’ about first step toward outdoor rec at county jail
The Centre County Prison Board of Inspectors took a first step Thursday toward exploring outdoor recreation at the county’s correctional facility.
For months, community advocates have pushed for outdoor recreation at the Centre County Correctional Facility, where most of the inmates do not feel direct sunlight, except for those who participate in the work release program, CentrePeace or when they’re transported to court hearings.
During Thursday’s meeting, board members moved to create a formal request for qualifications (RFQ) to narrow down the concerns and needs involved in creating an area for outdoor recreation at the facility.
Interim Warden Glenn Irwin said the board is “not opposed” to opportunities for outdoor recreation at the facility.
“But,” he continued, “we’re going to need time to review the security concerns.”
The current setup is a garage-like door and a mesh-covered window inside the jail’s walls, which complies with state law.
“We don’t have the staff to put out there. Even if we had the yards right now, they would be empty,” due to staffing shortages, Irwin said. Some inmates need to remain separated even during recreation time, Irwin explained, because of connections that could cause tension and lead to conflict.
Centre County President Judge Jonathan Grine, who is a member of the board, outlined the main concerns for introducing outdoor recreation as staffing costs, renovation and security.
Because of the amount of time necessary to evaluate all of the factors, outdoor recreation at the facility “may not be a ’24, even a ’25 thing,” said Centre County Controller and board member Jason Moser.
“Last July, we first asked for a study,” said community advocate Mark Kissling. “We understand that this will take time.”
Seven of the advocates toured the Dauphin County Correctional Facility, which has newly constructed areas for outdoor recreation, at the end of May. Kissling called the experience “powerful” and said that only some inmates there participate in outdoor recreation.
Dauphin County Correctional Facility Warden Greg Briggs did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Kissling admitted he might be “naïve,” but urged the board that “this could be approached through fear ... or it could be approached through opportunity.”
Rachel Summers, another community member who was part of the Dauphin County facility visit, said that the facility “showed that (outdoor recreation) can be an incremental change.”
“It’s always seemed such a cruel irony to me that we put people in that environment that exacerbates addiction and mental health problems,” Kerry Cavanaugh said via Zoom.
Cavanaugh said she is a community member who was formerly incarcerated at the Centre County Correctional Facility “a number of times.”
When she was incarcerated at the jail, Cavanaugh said, the extent of the sunlight and fresh air she received through the garage-like door was minimal because of the weather.
“We need to know what we need to to do meet these basic human rights,” said Kerry Wiessman, another community advocate.
Other advocates were pleased with the progress in the board’s seeking RFQs.
“We got some progress here,” community member Ken Kline Smeltzer said after the meeting. Smeltzer has been pushing for outdoor recreation since January 2022.
“This is a justice issue, a moral issue,” he said. “Citizens have to advocate for it.”
Asking for an RFQ is the first step in what will likely be a yearslong process. Next, the board would need to conduct a feasibility study before being able to actually design or construct outdoor recreation areas.
“We’ll be here, encouraging them, pressuring them, if necessary,” said Smeltzer.
In an email to the Centre Daily Times after the meeting, Kerry Cavanaugh wrote that she was “pleased” that the board “seems open to the prospect of implementing outdoor rec at CCCF.”
“I’m a bit worried it may suffer a ‘death by committee,’” she wrote, adding that she’s ultimately hopeful about the future.
The next meeting will be on July 13.
This story was originally published June 8, 2023 at 2:36 PM.
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