About 400 people packed inside the Karthaus Community Alliance Church Thursday night for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections’ public hearing on the proposed Quehanna Boot Camp closure.
In early February, the DOC announced its recommendation to close four correctional facilities across the state, including Quehanna Boot Camp and SCI Rockview, citing a steering committee report justifying the closures. That report points to needed repairs at Quehanna, empty beds and public safety concerns since there is no fence surrounding the facility.
“As a Commonwealth agency, we have to consider costs and operational efficiency,” said Laurel Harry, DOC’s secretary.
Almost 30 people spoke against the proposed closure during a public comment period, including state lawmakers, county commissioners, community members and former Quehanna inmates, including Andrew Tressler.
“If anybody wants to see redemption, restoration from a dark situation, here I am,” Tressler said. “There is success in Quehanna…more than what most people ever realize. To close this place would be detrimental.”
Tressler graduated from Quehanna in 2015. Now, he said he runs a business and has four kids with his wife.
Several speakers said inmates who graduate from Quehanna were less likely to reoffend because it is a small community where inmates feel safe to grow, which is something they could lose if they’re moved to a bigger corrections institution.
Another commonly shared complaint was the long distance workers would have to travel to work at a different facility if Quehanna closes. DOC said if there is a closure, all workers will be guaranteed another corrections job within 67 miles.
“I’ve heard the guaranteed employment is an hour away at best,” said Mark Mitchell, the West Branch Area School District superintendent. “So what you’re talking about is, this means kids moving into new communities, new schools, new neighborhoods…never easy for anyone, let alone children.”
Frazer Blake was the previous commander at the Quehanna Boot Camp, and said he was the first Black officer there. Blake said he hopes DOC will consider a bill that State Sen. Wayne Langerholc plans to introduce to adjust the way the camp is run, including reducing the amount of time before an inmate can graduate. The bill would also explore cost savings and revenue generation methods.
“I’m not going to sit here and beg, but I’m going to say, give him this opportunity,” Blake said.
DOC could make closure decisions as soon as next month. If the state does close Quehanna Boot Camp, SCI Rockview, and the Wernersville and Progress Community Corrections Centers, the DOC says it expects the closures to save the Commonwealth $10 million in the upcoming year and more than $100 million in future years.
DOC will host a public hearing on the proposed SCI Rockview closure on April 15 from 5-7 p.m. in the Bald Eagle Area High School/Middle School Auditorium.
Both of these hearings are required under state law, and are the only in-person opportunities to provide feedback directly to DOC. But, people can also email feedback to ra-crdocclose@pa.gov or leave a voicemail at 888-316-8950.
