Pennsylvania to close 2 prisons as inmate population falls
Citing declining inmate numbers and a budget deficit, state officials on Friday said they will close two state prisons this year.
Pennsylvania Corrections Secretary John Wetzel suggested the mothballed facilities — which will be selected from five prisons in Pittsburgh, Mercer, Frackville, Retreat and Waymart — might find new life as federal detention and deportation centers, should President-elect Donald Trump follow through on promises to deport undocumented immigrants with criminal records.
“If he's going to ramp that up, then he's going to need capacity quickly,” Wetzel said.
Leasing the closed prisons to another state or the federal government could provide extra revenue to close the state budget deficit, he said.
The prisons to be closed will be announced Jan. 26, Wetzel said. The shutdowns will be complete by June 30, as will a move to halve the community-housing inmate population.
That should pare about $200 million from the $2.3 billion prison budget.
The corrections chief said 800 employees affected by the closings will be offered positions at other institutions; about 2,500 inmates also will be transferred. Wetzel said state inmate counts have declined from 52,000 in 2011 to 49,000.
State Sen. Kim Ward, R-Hempfield, recalled how officials in 2013 abruptly announced the closings of prisons near Greensburg and Cresson.
“Not only did they not ask for input, they didn't even let us know they were considering closing SCI Greensburg or Cresson,” Ward said. “So, yes, you could definitely call this a pattern.”
State Sen. Wayne Fontana, D-Brookline, whose district includes the massive Pittsburgh prison, said he will insist on public input this time.
“At the end of the day, this is more than just a decision to close a facility. ... This decision impacts our prison workers, economy and cuts off the rehabilitative efforts under way in that facility,” Fontana said. “We must also keep in mind that this facility includes a specialized unit for veterans on whom we cannot turn our backs.”
Gov. Tom Wolf commended Wetzel's plan.
“I chose to invest in schools — not prisons — because it's both the right thing to do and the smart thing to do,” Wolf said.
SCI Pittsburgh, built in 1882, was closed once in 2005 at a cost of about $1.4 million and then reopened as a specialty facility in 2007 at a cost of $4 million. Corrections officials said closing Pittsburgh and Waymart, which provide specialty services, could create additional challenges and increase costs.
Digital Editor Donald Gilliland contributed. Debra Erdley is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 412-320-7996 or derdley@tribweb.com.
