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Residents, advocates and commissioners urge caution as state considers closure of SCI Rockview
Summary
Public commenters and Centre County commissioners asked state officials to slow the process on a proposed closure of State Correctional Institution (SCI) Rockview, citing potential job losses, local economic impacts and the need for full facts and public input.
Centre County residents, local advocates and county commissioners pressed for a deliberate review and public input after the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections announced a process that could lead to closure of SCI Rockview.
Janet Irrent, a volunteer with the Pennsylvania Prison Society, told the Board of Commissioners during public comment that the society has long monitored conditions inside Rockview and urged local officials not to “rush to judgment” before facts and community impacts are fully known. Irrent described long-standing maintenance and staffing issues at the prison and said the society supports reductions in prison populations if done with proper planning and humane alternatives.
The concerns raised in public comment were echoed during the commissioners’ reports. Commissioner Concepcion said the county had received formal notice from the state about the process and that the county would study the potential impacts, including effects on 658 full‑time staff at Rockview. “Our role as county government would be to ensure that we are studying and doing everything we can to mitigate the impact on our community,” Concepcion said.
Commissioner Dersham said the announcement had been “a surprise” and urged attention to both the jobs and the future use of the large parcels of land associated with the facility. Dersham warned against a hasty disposition of the property, saying the prison lands include significant farmland and natural resources and merit a thoughtful process.
Commissioners also cited conversations with state legislators and said they would participate in the state’s formal process. The county’s public remarks included a request that, if closures proceed, the Public Safety Facilities Act of 2018 be followed; that law requires impact studies, protections for employees and public input when state correctional facilities close.
No formal county action to block or endorse the state decision was recorded at the meeting; commissioners said they planned to participate in the statutorily required review and appeals process and would seek additional information from the Department of Corrections and state officials.
The timeline for the Department of Corrections’ public hearings and any final decision had not been set in the county meeting record. Commissioners encouraged affected employees and residents to follow the state process and to engage with county officials as the comment and review period proceeds.
