Department of Corrections Responds to Questions and Comments About Proposed Facility Closures

Harrisburg, PA – This document contains basic information to respond to questions and concerns raised during the recent public hearings on the proposed closures of SCI Rockview and Quehanna Boot Camp. Accompanying this document are materials related to the Department’s capital plan, violence reports, education data, and recidivism data. Additional information will be made available within the Department’s final report on the proposed closures.

Steering Committee Members:

• Commenters asked the Department to release the names of the Steering Committee members who generated the proposal to close SCI Rockview and Quehanna Boot Camp.
  • To protect the integrity of the Public Safety Facilities Act analysis process, names of Steering Committee members were not previously released to ensure their work could be completed without intimidation or coercion.
  • The Steering Committee’s composition grew as the process progressed. Notably, Secretary Harry was added to the committee process following the acceptance of the proposal.
  • Now that the Steering Committee is completing its analysis, participating members are provided below:

Quehanna Boot Camp Public Hearing Questions:

• Commenters claimed that the Boot Camp program had the lowest recidivism rate in the Department and suggested that savings associated with the low recidivism rate outweigh any savings achieved through closures.
  • The Boot Camp statistics cited appear to have been drawn from a pamphlet created by staff at Quehanna Boot Camp. As disclaimed in the pamphlet, the statistics were drawn from unofficial data from 2013 through 2018 and only included one of the two measures included in recidivism; specifically, return to state incarceration. These figures lack the measure of re-arrest, exclude Boot Camp failures, and exclude the SDTP population also processing through the facility.
  • Recidivism rates are not truly comparable between facilities. The rates can be influenced by the individual characteristics of the inmates housed at and released from the facility. Likewise, given that the inmate population transfers regularly throughout facilities, comparisons between locations are statistically impractical. Because of the differences in population created by facilities’ missions and regular transfers throughout the Department, comparing a facility against itself over time is the most appropriate way to measure a facility’s success with recidivism reduction.
  • The most recent analyses found that the statutory drug treatment program produced greater reductions in recidivism and cost savings per participant than the Boot Camp program.
• Commenters suggested that legislative amendments to the Boot Camp statute could make the program more appealing and increase the population at the facility.
  • While legislative amendments to the Boot Camp statute may have a positive effect on participation, fundamental shifts to the demographics of those committed to the Department reduce the Boot Camp candidate pool. For example, the average age of commitment to the Department is now 38. Proposed measures of shortening the duration of the Boot Camp program may exacerbate capacity issues for the facility by cycling individuals through the facility faster.
• Commenters claimed that Quehanna Boot Camp produces more GEDs than any facility, and more than 12 facilities combined.
  • Although the Boot Camp staff assisted more people to obtain their GEDs over the previous five years than other institutions and more than the 12 lowest facilities, obtaining a GED is only one measure of academic achievement. Commonwealth Secondary Diplomas (CSD) are earned more frequently in other institutions. When combining GEDs and CSDs, completion rates over the previous five years considerably narrow, and the alternative male SDTP treatment facilities (i.e., SCIs Houtzdale and Laurel Highlands) emerge as the second- and third-highest producers of high school equivalency diplomas including both GEDs and CSDs.

SCI Rockview Public Hearing Questions:

• Commenters speculated that the proposed closure of SCI Rockview is motivated by a “sweetheart deal” for sale of the facility’s land.
  • The Department has no role in the disposition of the property when a facility closes and has no ability to sell land associated with a facility. The Department of General Services would be responsible for any sale of the property, if necessary, and typically requires legislation to convey the transfer of the property.
• Commenters shared concerns that staff affected by a closure would lose preferred shift bids and posts.
  • It is important to note that staff will not lose seniority. However, depending on staff selections, all staff may not be accommodated at their new location with their current shift or post. This matter is subject to the provisions in the respective collective bargaining agreements.
• Commenters suggested partial operation of SCI Rockview or selling land associated with the facility as a potential means of closing budget gaps.
  • Statewide, the Department closed approximately 18 housing units in 2024.  Only fractional savings of approximately $7 million were achieved through this approach. Likewise, the Department has no role in conveying any land associated with the facility.

Common Questions:

• Commenters shared concerns that they would only be guaranteed employment at targeted facilities, creating unmanageable drive times from their home addresses.
  • The Department’s goal is to support all staff through the process of relocating to another work location if the closures occur. The Department’s Bureau of Planning, Research and Statistics conducted an analysis of staff commuting patterns, based on staff home addresses. Those facilities where a targeted hiring freeze was implemented were determined to be the facilities that the majority of staff were likely to select should a closure occur. However, staff may request placement at facilities outside of the targeted institutions and closer to their home address, if a closure occurs.
    
• Commenters frequently claimed that because all staff are guaranteed employment if a closure occurs, only minimal savings associated with operational costs can be achieved.
  • Savings associated with operational costs are anticipated immediately following a closure. Because all staff are guaranteed employment within the Department, it is true that personnel costs will not be saved immediately in FY25-26.
• Commenters claimed that projects identified in the Steering Committee’s proposal were previously completed; therefore, savings would be further diminished.
  • It is accurate that the Steering Committee’s proposal identified some projects, such as paving, that were physically completed in its initial assessment. However, the overall estimated capital needs of the facilities have not changed.
  • The Department of General Services contracted with Carter Goble Lee (CGL) Companies in 2022 to conduct a third-party spatial and structural analysis of Department facilities. The CGL six-year capital plans and the Bureau of Operations five-year capital plans, detailing future planned maintenance needs (i.e., not accounting for emergency repair needs that develop outside these plans) have been released with this document and identify the specific projects to be completed.
    The CGL capital plan projects for SCI Rockview contain approximately $85 million in deferred maintenance needs and $7 million in capital investment to install air-conditioning, while the Quehanna Boot Camp plan identifies approximately $2.7 million in deferred maintenance needs and approximately $4 million in capital investment to install air-conditioning. The Bureau of Operations identifies approximately $74 million in maintenance projects prioritized at SCI Rockview within the next five years and approximately $6.8 million in projects at Quehanna Boot Camp during the same period. To be clear, the bulk of future cost avoidances are associated with the reduction in operational costs and eventual reduction in complement; however, avoiding these projects will avert spending. 
• Commenters suggested that proposed closures will cause overcrowding and increased violence, with a commenter suggesting that years 2018-2019 were some of the most violent years on record, triggered by the previous closure of SCI Pittsburgh. Additionally, the commenter suggested that the violence increase observed in 2024 occurred in the most crowded facilities.
  • Based on current populations and trends, male capacity would remain under 90% and female capacity would remain under 80% if closures occur.
  • It is not possible to predict future outcomes. After the five most recent prison closures, the Department’s Bureau of Planning, Research and Statistics found that the Department averaged one less inmate-on-inmate assault and three less inmate-on-staff assaults, in the six-months following a closure in comparison to the six-months preceding a closure.
  • The most recent closure occurred in 2020 at SCI Retreat. Although occurring at the onset of the COVID pandemic, staff assaults and inmate fights decreased and remained at lower rates per 1000 inmates (compared to 2018-2019) until 2024, while inmate-on-inmate assaults edged slightly higher in 2023.
  • Despite the low inmate population in 2024, the violence rate per 1,000 inmates was greater than in 2018-2019.
  • In 2024, there were approximately 406 additional findings of guilt for violent incidents. Approximately 70% of the increase was attributable to seven facilities. The increased violent guilty incidents and average capacity of those facilities in 2024 are noted below. There is no clear relationship between capacity rates and the increase in violence. Some facilities with higher capacity rates experienced decreases in violence, while others with lower capacity rates experienced increases in violence.

• Commenters suggested that there were limited opportunities for repurposing of the facilities.
  • The Department operates the Quehanna Boot Camp through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). Should a closure of Quehanna Boot Camp occur, the property would revert back to the ownership of DCNR for their use or repurposing. The Department is committed to collaborating with DCNR to ensure a smooth and cooperative transition of the property and resources.    
  • As previously noted, the Department of General Services would be responsible for disposition of SCI Rockview.