Public hearing on prison closure

Baker seeks public input

FRITZ MAYER
Posted 1/18/17

HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania State Sen. Lisa Baker is seeking public input on the closure of two state prisons, one of which is the State Correctional Institution at Waymart (CSIW.) The …

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Public hearing on prison closure

Baker seeks public input

Posted

HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania State Sen. Lisa Baker is seeking public input on the closure of two state prisons, one of which is the State Correctional Institution at Waymart (CSIW.)

The administration of Gov. Tom Wolf announced earlier this month that it intends to close two out of a list of five prisons, because there is a declining prison population and the move would save the state money.

The announcement has drawn criticism from Baker, newly-elected state representative Jonathan Fritz and the Wayne County commissioners.

CSIW has 706 employees, and the politicians say the economic impact of closing the prison would be hard on Wayne County.

Baker announced that the Senate Majority Policy Committee, Democratic Policy Committee and Judiciary Committee will hold a joint public hearing on the matter on January 23 at 9:30 a.m. in Hearing Room 1 of the North Office Building in Harrisburg.

In order to make it easier for members of the public to comment on the matter, Baker has set up a public comment page at www.senatorbaker.com/proposed-prison-closings, and she said, “Local officials and residents can be assured we are not leaving the fate of the region’s prisons up to the whims of the Wolf administration.”

CSIW is a 100-plus-year-old facility that was specifically designed to deal with inmates who have mental health issues (though since 1989 it has also housed general population inmates as well), and critics of the Wolf administration plans say it would be difficult to find appropriate beds for the inmates currently housed there if it were to be shuttered.

Further, Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (DOC) has said that all of the employees of the two prisons that are closed will be offered positions at other state correctional facilities. Given that employees’ salaries and benefits are the largest costs involved with any prisons, critics question how much savings will actually result from the closing.

Wolf, however, said the closures are necessary. He issued a statement saying, “Our commonwealth faces a serious budget deficit that means we have limited funds to provide the services the people of Pennsylvania expect from their government, and we must make government more efficient to avoid broad cuts to education, job creation programs and social services for the most vulnerable.

“I chose to invest in schools—not prisons—because it’s both the right thing to do and the smart thing to do. The future of Pennsylvania depends on making investments in what works and I’ll do everything I can to ensure we’re investing in all our kids and their futures,” he said.

But for local officials, the future of Wayne County and the surrounding area is tied to schools and the prison as well as other large facilities such as the local hospital.

Fritz argued in a post on his website that the prison has been upgraded and should be fully utilized. He wrote, “SCI Waymart has already undergone considerable upgrades and is poised for growth, not mothballing. It now has inexpensive and clean-burning natural gas as a fuel source. It has upgraded its water and wastewater infrastructure, undergone roofing improvements and razed outdated portions of the facility to realize additional efficiency.

“SCI Waymart is an institution that not only supports 725-plus [sic] hard-working, devoted employees, but also sets the standard for corrections and inmate care in a time that our Commonwealth is struggling with mental health issues and a crippling opioid and heroin epidemic.”

The DOC has said it will announce a final determination about which prisons will be closed on January 26.

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