Several members of the Senate Judiciary Committee were critical of a Corbett administration plan to close two state prisons. The senators complained about timing, job losses and economic impact.
The State Department of Corrections announced two weeks ago the closing of two older prisons. They would be replaced by the newly-constructed State Correctional Institution in Benner Township, Centre County.
"Our charge from day one was cut spending in corrections, cut spending in corrections,” stated Department of Corrections Secretary John Wetzel.
Scheduled to be closed is SCI Cresson in Cambria County, which originally opened in 1913 and houses about 1400 inmates. The other is SCI Greensburg in Westmoreland County, which is 44-years-old with a population of less than a thousand prisoners.
The new state of the art facility in Centre County is expected to save the state taxpayers $23 million dollars a year.
At Tuesday's judiciary committee session, several senators in whose districts the prisons are located questioned how decisions were made and why the state failed to launch a formal transition plan.
"Here's our plan. Here's why we're shutting these down,” demonstrated Allegheny Democrat Jim Brewster. “Here's our intent with the employees. Here's an effective reuse of the buildings. None of that was done."
Corrections Secretary john Wetzel says much of that was done or plans to do so are underway. As far as selecting the prisons to close, that was strictly dollars and cents.
"This was a decision based on data,” issued Wetzel. “It wasn't based on politics or any bias toward one facility versus another. These were the two facilities that made the most sense."
Corrections will begin marketing both prisons for reuse once inmates have been transferred out. Keeping them empty will cost the state about $5.5 million annually.
Even then, the prison closings will save taxpayers $23 million a year.
The department doubts the two prisons would need to be reopened in the future. Inmate population is on the decline. In the past six months the number of inmates behind bars has dropped by five hundred.
The State Department of Corrections announced two weeks ago the closing of two older prisons. They would be replaced by the newly-constructed State Correctional Institution in Benner Township, Centre County.
"Our charge from day one was cut spending in corrections, cut spending in corrections,” stated Department of Corrections Secretary John Wetzel.
Scheduled to be closed is SCI Cresson in Cambria County, which originally opened in 1913 and houses about 1400 inmates. The other is SCI Greensburg in Westmoreland County, which is 44-years-old with a population of less than a thousand prisoners.
The new state of the art facility in Centre County is expected to save the state taxpayers $23 million dollars a year.
At Tuesday's judiciary committee session, several senators in whose districts the prisons are located questioned how decisions were made and why the state failed to launch a formal transition plan.
"Here's our plan. Here's why we're shutting these down,” demonstrated Allegheny Democrat Jim Brewster. “Here's our intent with the employees. Here's an effective reuse of the buildings. None of that was done."
Corrections Secretary john Wetzel says much of that was done or plans to do so are underway. As far as selecting the prisons to close, that was strictly dollars and cents.
"This was a decision based on data,” issued Wetzel. “It wasn't based on politics or any bias toward one facility versus another. These were the two facilities that made the most sense."
Corrections will begin marketing both prisons for reuse once inmates have been transferred out. Keeping them empty will cost the state about $5.5 million annually.
Even then, the prison closings will save taxpayers $23 million a year.
The department doubts the two prisons would need to be reopened in the future. Inmate population is on the decline. In the past six months the number of inmates behind bars has dropped by five hundred.