State Correctional Institution in Frackville is one of five state prisons facing potential state prison closures.

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Press released from Senator Dave Argall:

Schuylkill County legislative delegation releases statement regarding potential state prison closures

FRACKVILLE – Senator David G. Argall (R-Schuylkill/Berks) and Representatives Neal Goodman (D-Schuylkill), Jerry Knowles (R-Berks/Carbon/Schuylkill) and Mike Tobash (R-Schuylkill/Dauphin) released the following statement regarding the governor’s decision to close two state correctional institutions out of five under consideration, one including SCI Frackville:

“We’re shocked that Frackville is included on this list. Out of the five state prisons under consideration, SCI Frackville is the newest facility and has an ‘excellent infrastructure’ according to the Dept. of Corrections. Furthermore, SCI Frackville has the second lowest cost-per-inmate, would generate the least amount of annual savings for taxpayers if closed and is the most versatile because it can accommodate all four levels of prisoners.

“We believe if the administration is seeking cost-savings, they should be looking at our corrections system as a whole and all institutions should be under review; not a select handful. Furthermore, this needs to be an open and transparent process since this impacts all Pennsylvanians from a cost standpoint as well as a safety and security standpoint.

“We’ve already spoken with Governor Wolf and Secretary Wetzel and will do everything in our power to convince them to keep this facility open. We know there are facilities that are not economically viable, but Frackville is not one of them. We are sure that after the Department of Corrections does its due diligence it will see what we already know – that Frackville is a top notch institution that must be maintained. We are hopeful the administration can strike the right balance between cost-savings for taxpayers and the safety of Pennsylvanians.”

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General statistics from PA.gov website:
http://www.cor.pa.gov/Facilities/StatePrisons/Pages/Frackville.aspx#.WHAvKlUrJEY

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Press Release from Governor Tom Wolf’s website:

Governor Wolf Statement on Department of Corrections Cost-Saving Measures

January 06, 2017

Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf released the following statement on cost-savings measures announced today by the Department of Corrections and Secretary John Wetzel:“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.“Department of Corrections’ announcement of these cost-saving measures is exactly the kind of action that we must take to ensure we can continue to invest in middle class families and Pennsylvania’s future.“DOC believes we are able to close prisons without security risk because of the historic reduction in the inmate population and crime is down. By investing in the things that make Pennsylvania a better place – like reducing recidivism and improving our schools – we can ensure the long-term prosperity and safety of our commonwealth.

“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.”

SCI Frackville is one of five prisons facing potential state closure https://t.co/7hfaKQrevN pic.twitter.com/UY3OD3RwaW

— Andrew Leibenguth (@TamaquaArea) January 7, 2017