Sunday, February 23, 2025, 9:32AM |  28°
MENU
Advertisement
State Sen. Wayne Fontana, D-Brookline, questioned the timing of the decision to close two prisons.
1
MORE

Pa. Senate grills corrections officials on plan to close two prisons

Pam Panchak/Post-Gazette

Pa. Senate grills corrections officials on plan to close two prisons

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania senators peppered state corrections officials at a hearing this morning with questions about the safety, savings and speed of a plan to close two prisons this year.

The questions from senators whose districts include or are near prisons on the closure list were especially pointed.

Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Luzerne, suggested the Wolf administration’s announcement of prison closings might be an attempt at “leverage” in order to get a tax increase passed.

Advertisement

She and others also focused on the timing of the decision. The selection of the two prisons is supposed to be announced Thursday.

“Why does this decision have to be made this fast?” asked Sen. Wayne Fontana, D-Brookline, who has previously questioned the timeline and argued that closings should be preceded by more public hearings.

Corrections Secretary John Wetzel responded that the prisons must be empty by July 1 in order for the state to save a full year’s expenses.

The Wolf administration announced earlier this month that it would shutter two of the state’s 26 prisons by June 30 in an effort to help close a budget shortfall. Officials identified five prisons — in Pittsburgh and in Luzerne, Mercer, Schuylkill and Wayne counties — that are under consideration for closure. Officials say that the affected inmates, up to 1,000, can safely be housed at other sites in the 26-prison system. 

Advertisement

Not all the senators were critical of the idea of closing prisons. Sen. Daylin Leach, D-Montgomery, said he thought reducing the prison count was a good direction for the state.

Pennsylvania’s roll of prisoners multiplied over recent decades, though it has dropped from a peak in 2012.

The walls of the hearing room Monday were lined with onlookers, some of them holding signs bearing the name of the union that represents corrections officers.

Karen Langley: klangley@post-gazette.com or 717-787-2141.

First Published: January 23, 2017, 5:02 p.m.

RELATED
SHOW COMMENTS (0)  
Join the Conversation
Commenting policy | How to Report Abuse
If you would like your comment to be considered for a published letter to the editor, please send it to letters@post-gazette.com. Letters must be under 250 words and may be edited for length and clarity.
Partners
Advertisement
The University of Pittsburgh's Cathedral of Learning
1
business
Amid funding uncertainty, Pitt pauses doctoral admissions
Pirates outfielder DJ Stewart gets congratulations from teammates after his home run against the Baltimore Orioles in the first game of the Grapefruit League season at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fla., on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025.
2
sports
5 takeaways from Pirates' spring training victory over Orioles
York County District Attorney Timothy J. Barker reacts during a news conference regarding the shooting at UPMC Memorial Hospital in York, Pa. on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025.
3
news
Police officer killed, gunman dead in shooting at UPMC Memorial Hospital in York
Preston Coleman, 52, was beaten and strangled inside an Aliquippa VFW on Jan. 5, 2025, in what police described as a vicious, unprovoked attack.
4
news
Bartender working at Aliquippa VFW during beating that left man unconscious facing charges
A new report advises retirees in 2025 to aim for just 3.7% when withdrawing from savings -- down from 4%. Over a 30-year retirement, that could mean the difference between financial security or outliving your cash in your 80s or 90s, financial experts say.
5
business
How much can retirees safely withdraw from their nest eggs? Financial experts weigh in.
State Sen. Wayne Fontana, D-Brookline, questioned the timing of the decision to close two prisons. "Why does this decision have to be made this fast?" he asked at a hearing on Monday.  (Pam Panchak/Post-Gazette)
Pam Panchak/Post-Gazette
Advertisement
LATEST local
Advertisement
TOP
Email a Story