Pennsylvania’s Department of Corrections recently closed two prisons in Centre and Clearfield counties, the State Correctional Institution at Rockview and the Quehanna Boot Camp, saying the facilities needed significant maintenance and that the closures will save more than $100 million in future years.
On Monday, the DOC invited reporters from WPSU to tour Rockview state prison, now that all inmates and most staff are gone. The state didn’t allow video recording, but did allow photos and audio recording.
During the tour, one of the few remaining staff at Rockview unlocked a gate into the prison grounds. There were large, white buildings lining a central road and a chapel straight ahead.
The guards wore keys on their belts that jangled as we walked in and entered the iconic prison building that drivers pass by on Route 26. Even though the prison is now closed, many of the buildings still have fans or heat running, as you can hear in the audio recording.
The state estimates it will spend more than $1.5 million per year to “mothball” Rockview through continued costs for electricity, heating, water, and security and maintenance contracts.
“This is a housing unit called D Building. It used to be called East Wing," said Scott Klinefelter, a retired superintendent helping with the wind down process at Rockview, and one of eight employees still there.
Our group stared up at stacked rows of prison cells, towering over us.
“250 cells total, would hold up to 500 inmates, five tiers high," Klinefelter said.
Modern state prisons are only two floors.
Klinefelter said this building was built in the 1930s, but the prison opened in 1915. Before its closure, it was the second oldest prison still operating in the state, behind SCI Huntingdon, which opened in 1889.
We climbed up the worn, metal stairs to the top floor and took a minute to catch our breaths and look around.
“Long way down, eh?” joked David Radziewicz, the special assistant to the Secretary of Corrections.
On one side of the narrow walkway is the five floor drop off, protected by metal bars and grating. Just past the metal barrier, birds flew past. On the other side of the walkway are the inmate cells.
Radziewicz said there’s a reason newer prisons don’t have so many floors.
“I think what most folks probably have a hard time conceptualizing these days is that you think that prison is a younger man’s environment or place, and our population continues to age," Radziewicz said.
Radziewicz said more than a quarter of the state’s prison population is over 50. Besides the challenges of going up and down the stairs every day, he said the multi-tiered layout also means guards have a limited line of sight.
Another thing that makes Rockview different are the inmate cells. Older prisons like Rockview have open bars, while newer cells have solid doors.
“This is like 'Shawshank Redemption' cells here," Klinefelter said.
Many of the cells are now empty, except for bed frames and desks.
The state is repurposing what they can to send to other facilities. Outside of the cells on the first floor, there are piles of mattresses, stainless steel toilets and sinks.
“This is all office furniture," Klinefelter said as he pointed to office spaces. "That used to be a gang shower. Got converted into offices for management staff.”
We descended the stairs, and a guard showed off an electronic panel that controls each cell door in the building. There are green buttons that are lit up with numbers underneath them. Buttons to the side give the option to open or close all doors per floor.
After heading back outside, Klinefelter said that building is just one of nine housing units at Rockview. Altogether, Rockview’s capacity was 2,544 inmates.
Klinefelter pointed out buildings to the left and in front of us.
“That's the chapel. … This is a DW Building," Klinefelter said, and explained that it stands for "deputy warden's building."
"It was the first building built here," Klinefelter said.
Next, we headed for the chapel, which was a hub for events, like graduations, veterans events and worship services.
“The interesting thing about the chapel is the altar rotates for the different faith groups," Radziewicz said.
Rockview’s chapel, which was built in the 60s, is decorated with stained glass windows surrounded by brick arches. There are lines of wooden pews, which can be moved for prayer rugs. Chapels in newer state prisons usually have plain walls, tile floors and chairs.
Leaving the chapel, we walked past guard posts where security officers would have kept an eye on inmates as they walked between buildings.
When Rockview was open, there would be hundreds of people coming and going.
“It’s probably very quiet compared to what it was," said Abby Drey from the Centre Daily Times, who was also part of the tour.
“Yes, very quiet," Radziewicz said.
Next, we walked through “The Yard,” an outdoor recreation area.
“Interesting tidbit... I didn't know this until someone told me last weekend, but in the 70s, they filmed a movie called ‘On the Yard,'" Radziewicz said.
“The Yard” is a large grassy area. There used to be a baseball field, now there’s a tall white wall in the middle of a concrete court for handball, picnic benches, exercise equipment and basketball courts.
Next to “The Yard” is the dining building. There’s a cafeteria inside, similar to what you’d see in a school.
On the other side of a glass wall is the kitchen, where inmates would serve food on plastic trays through a hole cut in the glass.
“They’re repurposing a lot of the things in here that are salvageable," Radziewicz said.
Radziewicz pointed out some of the culinary items still in the building, like plastic trays, fire extinguishers, industrial ovens and freezers.
As for the buildings and land, it’s not clear what will happen to the historical Rockview prison. The execution chamber is outside of Rockview’s perimeter and will be absorbed by the nearby Benner Township state prison.
Penn State has said they’re interested in what will happen to the land, which many consider prime real estate because of the proximity to State College and I-80.
The Pennsylvania Department of General Services is responsible for selling the prison and land. A spokesperson told WPSU that the Department of Corrections has not yet given the go ahead to put Rockview up for competitive bid.
