3 days ago
Will Rockview and Quehanna close? Decision still ‘pending,' Shapiro admin says
After previously announcing that a decision on whether to close Rockview state prison and Quehanna Boot Camp would come in May, Gov. Josh Shapiro's administration said Friday that the final decision is still 'pending.'
The state Department of Corrections said it is 'continuing to consider feedback from stakeholders and review is ongoing.' The agency did not provide an updated timeline for its decision.
The DOC said in press release issued at the beginning of the month that it expected to make its decision public by the end of May.
The delay will prolong a period of anxiety and frustration for hundreds of employees and their families, many of whom could be relocated to other state prisons and have their carefully coordinated schedules upended.
Kalli Boone, the wife of a corrections officer who works at Rockview, told the Centre Daily Times 'we have been lied to since the beginning.'
'They said they're going to be transparent about this. They haven't been,' Boone said. 'They lied to us about the facts and why it's being done. They don't even have the decency or common courtesy of informing us of anything. It is very stressful on all the families involved.'
Centre County leaders have warned of 'potential disaster' if Shapiro's administration follows through with its proposal. The county commissioners estimated the central Pennsylvania economy stands to lose $118 million annually.
But the delay also figures to give a bipartisan group of state lawmakers opposed to the closures more time to make their case to the state's chief executive.
Shapiro's administration has pitched its proposal as a way to save about $120 million in the face of shrinking state prison populations, high vacancy and turnover rates among corrections officers and massive overtime payments.
Rockview is the second-oldest among the nearly two dozen in the DOC system and the agency has said it would require $74 million in upgrades over the next five years — the highest cost of any state prison.
All affected employees will be guaranteed a job offer at their existing pay and classification at a facility within 67 miles of Rockview, though the DOC has made no promises about shift assignments. Workers may also face longer commutes.
The Pennsylvania Prison Society has been generally supportive of the proposal, saying it could save money and keep Pennsylvanians safe if done properly. The nonprofit has said Rockview is in serious disrepair.
The proposal has been deeply unpopular in Centre County, where state lawmakers, the county's commissioners and the union that represents corrections officers were among those who repeatedly urged the state to reconsider over the past 3 1/2 months.
