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WILKES-BARRE — The decision on the future of the State Correctional Institution at Retreat won’t come until January.
State Sen. John Yudichak, I-Swoyersville, on Friday said he has received word from the office of Gov. Tom Wolf that nothing will be announced until sometime after the first of the year.
In August, Wolf’s administration and the Department of Corrections announced their current proposal to close SCI-Retreat, which has 384 full-time employees and had a prisoner population of 1,057 as of the most recent state report.
DOC spokeswoman Susan McNaughton confirmed the report, as did J.J. Abbott, press secretary to the governor.
“That is my understanding,” McNaughton said. “A decision is not expected to be announced until sometime in January.”
“That is correct,” Abbott said.
Yudichak said that the governor said the process will follow the guidelines set in Act 133.
Yudichak said that DOC notified SCI-Retreat on Friday morning that a final decision on the proposed closure will be made in January.
“We appreciate the administration delaying the decision to ensure that the process was both fair and thorough,” Yudichak said. “A decision of this magnitude will have wide-ranging impacts on both Luzerne County and the Commonwealth and can’t be predisposed or made in haste and most importantly by law must comply with Act 133.“
Pennsylvania State Corrections Officers Association President Larry Blackwell issued a statement concerning the delay of the SCI-Retreat closing decision.
“This decision will do little to quell the concerns officers and their families have about their futures,” Blackwell said. “PSCOA believes Retreat should remain open. Period. With overpopulation issues at SCI-Dallas and other prisons, we believe the timing is not right to close any prisons. We will continue to press our case to the Department of Corrections that cost savings can be done within the system that won’t jeopardize the safety of its officers, staff and the inmates.”
DOC Executive Deputy Secretary for Institutional Operations Tabb Bickell was placed in charge of the process amid ongoing outrage over profane remarks made by DOC Secretary John Wetzel during a public hearing on plans to close the state prison, located in Newport Township.
In November, a meeting was held at the Newport Township Municipal Building that was attended by Yudichak and representatives of Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Lehman Township; Rep. Gerald Mullery, D-Newport Township; Shickshinny Borough and Sewer Authority and Conyngham Township. Yudichak said Bickell and DOC officials attended the meeting, along with representatives of the Department of Community and Economic Development and the Department of Environmental Protection.
“It was a very positive meeting,” Yudichak said at the time. “We provided detailed information on the devastating impact that closing SCI Retreat would have on the community.”
Yudichak said a strong argument was made by the Shickshinny Sewer Authority, which expanded its facility to accommodate the prison. He said if the prison closes, the authority would have to raise rates significantly, putting a severe financial burden on users.
Yudichak said Newport Township would face cutting its police department because of the loss of revenue.
“Newport Township would lose cops on the street,” Yudichak said.
Yudichak noted that Newport Township also lost significant revenue when K.M. Smith Elementary School was closed last year.
Yudichak said the bridge leading to SCI-Retreat recently underwent an inspection.
During the initial stages of the process, the DOC pledged to offer SCI ’s employees positions at about a half-dozen other state prisons that are within 65 miles if the facility does close.
Yudichak said, “The fight to save SCI Retreat has never stopped since the proposed closure announcement was made in August.”
