‘We just disagree.’ Centre County commissioners reeling from Rockview closure decision

About a week after Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration announced Rockview state prison will close, Centre County Commissioners reiterated Tuesday that they disagree with the decision and are looking toward what’s next.

The decision to close the state prison, along with Clearfield County’s Quehanna Boot Camp, was due in part to decreasing inmate populations and high upgrade costs, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, which released a 1,223 page report on the recommendation last week.

It’s also estimated that the closures would save the commonwealth up to $100 million in coming fiscal years, although those savings come with the side effects of about 900 employees needing to be relocated, along with potential negative impacts to the area’s economy.

In a March letter that warned of “potential disaster,” the commissioners said any savings at the state level were being taken from Centre, Clearfield and Clinton counties.

“The governor probably needed to close a prison or two, but we just disagree with the two [facilities] that were closed,” Commissioner Mark Higgins said during Tuesday’s board of commissioners meeting. “We still feel that Rockview and Quehanna were a couple of the better state correctional institutes in the commonwealth, and we still question the closing of those two facilities.”

Higgins’ frustrations were echoed by his fellow commissioners Amber Concepcion and Steve Dershem, who each shared additional concerns about the closures.

Though all affected employees are guaranteed a job at their existing pay and classification within 67 miles of Rockview or Quehanna, Concepcion said that won’t be a solution for everyone.

“Not everybody’s going to be able to move to another facility if it means driving a considerable distance away from their homes here in Centre County,” she said.

Concepcion added that the Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County would be looking to do “whatever they can” to help with job transitions, including potential job trainings. She also pointed to staff positions open within Centre County Government and said those affected are welcome to apply.

Dershem highlighted concerns about the Rockview property itself. Shapiro’s administration has not offered any clues about what could happen with either Rockview or Quehanna after it closes.

“You’ll have vacant buildings and complexes that I don’t know if we’ve gotten clear answers on what [the buildings] will look like next year, the following year, 10 years, 20 years of even 30 years down the road,” Dershem said. “I think there needs to be a little bit more transparency for what that process looks like, and what will happen to those facilities.”

There are 5,700 acres of farmland in Benner Township owned by the state prison, and Dershem said he hopes it remains farmland.

Moving forward, the commissioners hope that the DOC will work alongside them, among other local officials, to pursue an appropriate plan for what happens to the facility and its land.

The Centre County commissioners aren’t the only local elected officials who have voiced disapproval with the closures. All of Centre County’s representatives in Harrisburg — Republican and Democrat — have shared their concerns, as has U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-Howard, who wrote that the move will “create serious financial and public safety challenges for Central Pennsylvania.”

The earliest the two facilities could close is Jan. 19. A DOC spokesperson previously said the actual closure date will be dictated by operational needs.