By CHRISTINA LENGYEL

The Center Square

HARRISBURG — The Department of Corrections has published information detailing its process in recommending the closure of SCI Rockview and Quehanna Boot Camp this year.

The publication comes following a tense exchange with Republican Sen. Cris Dush of Jefferson who questioned some of the reasons the department cited to close the facility.

The senator sent an April 23rd letter to department Secretary Laurel Harry demanding additional details about the steering committee members who made the recommendation and the information they used to support it. If uncooperative, Dush said he’d consider issuing a subpoena.

“As the Senator who represents Bellefonte and as the Chairman of the State Government Committee which has oversight of the disposition of properties through DGS it is my obligation to ensure that the steering committee’s findings were based on accurate and current information,” wrote Dush. “The empirical evidence that conflicts with the Department’s stated needs leads me, and many others, to believe that is not the case.”

Dush said that he was “shocked” to see new asphalt and fences, roof work and boiler replacements that were already in process or under contract.

“These revelations made me question the legitimacy of the steering committee’s findings,” he wrote.

A response from Harry allayed the need for a subpoena, suggesting that the forthcoming information would satisfy the demands of Dush’s request.

The report includes a full list of steering committee members who made the recommendation, as well as answers to questions asked both by the legislature and in public hearings.

Perhaps the biggest question for supporters of the facilities has been the impact on the over 800 staff who work there and the economies of surrounding communities.

“The Department’s goal is to support all staff through the process of relocating to another work location if the closures occur,” states the report. “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.”

As to the repairs Dush questioned, the agency said most of the savings were in future costs over the next six years determined by consulting firm Carter Goble Lee (CGL) Companies contracted by the department.

“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.”

The report also dispelled some of the assertions made by defenders of the facilities, like Quehanna Boot Camp having the lowest recidivism rate in the state.

“Recidivism rates are not truly comparable between facilities,” states the report. “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.”

The department noted that it doesn’t have a hand in the sale or use of the land that hosts these facilities, and it wouldn’t benefit from any alleged deals, an assertion made by some who were critical of the proposal.