On Tuesday night, hundreds packed the auditorium at Bald Eagle Area Middle and High School for the legally mandated public hearing, offering their support for the prison and voicing concerns about the potentially far-reaching consequences of closing two public safety facilities in Central Pennsylvania.

The hearing began with opening remarks from Department of Corrections officials, followed by invited guest speakers — including local representatives, union members and the superintendent of SCI Rockview — before the floor was opened to public comment. More than two dozen residents and stakeholders addressed the panel; not one supported the proposed closure.

Seated on stage, listening to the testimony were Department of Corrections Secretary Dr. Laurel R. Harry, Deputy Secretary for Administration Chris Oppman and Executive Deputy Secretary for Institutional Operations Mike Wenerowicz.

“Proposing SCI closures is, honestly, especially difficult for me because I have been through a closure myself,” said Secretary Harry, who says she understands personally the impact such decisions can have on staff and their communities.

HUNTER SMITH/THE EXPRESS The Centre County Commissioners are pictured voicing opposition to the closure of SCI-Rockview.

“Please know, we do not take this lightly,” she said.

Heading off the testimony was District 82 State Rep. Paul Takac, D-Centre, who said he stands in full support of those “fighting like hell” to keep Rockview open.

“The department’s recommendation to close these facilities hit like a bomb, especially in our rural communities,” said Takac, warning that a closure would have devastating impacts, not only on employees and their families, but also on the incarcerated individuals at Rockview and the broader community, including generations of retirees.

Takac said he has received hundreds of calls, emails and letters — more than 100 of them from inmates — since the closure recommendation was announced. A vocal opponent of the proposal, he has been holding listening sessions across the region to hear directly from those affected.

Takac outlined a series of concerns raised by staff and community members, including longer commutes, loss of preferred shifts and the disruption of carefully coordinated schedules for childcare, school and extracurricular activities.

HUNTER SMITH/THE EXPRESS State Rep. Paul Takac is pictured voicing opposition to the closure of SCI-Rockview.

He also highlighted concerns about inmate mental health, citing reports of increased self-harm and suicidal ideation, and warned that operating at higher capacities could increase the likelihood of violence.

Melissa Bollinger, a registered nurse at SCI Rockview and representative from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), spoke about the facility’s critical role in providing mental and physical health care within the state prison system.

She explained more than half of Rockview’s incarcerated population receives psychiatric care or other mental health services through tailored treatment programs, therapeutic environments and access to mental health professionals.

The facility includes 10 psychiatric observation cells for individuals in crisis and operates a Behavioral Management Unit (BMU) that can house up to 15 inmates. Rockview is also home to the state’s only Neurocognitive Care Unit (NCCU), which serves up to 12 inmates with neurocognitive disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Bollinger attested that other facilities will send inmates to Rockview when they are unable to provide adequate care.

HUNTER SMITH/THE EXPRESS Clinton County Commissioner Angela Harding is pictured voicing opposition to the closure of SCI-Rockview.

“Any and all disruption to a treatment process simply undermines treatment,” said David Brown, a corrections counselor at Rockview and treatment specialist with more than 20 years of experience.

Brown warned reducing the number of state correctional facilities would have serious consequences for both staff and inmates. For staff, he said, it would lead to burnout, staffing shortages, decreased morale and increased medical expenses. For incarcerated individuals, he warned of a rise in recidivism, untreated mental health conditions, unresolved trauma and worsening physical health.

“Anything that lends itself to an unsafe environment in a corrections facility is not good for anybody,” he said.

In his remarks, state Sen. Cris Dush, R-Pa. 25, a former corrections officer, said he recently toured SCI Rockview and saw firsthand many of the facility upgrades the Department of Corrections cited as reasons for its proposed closure — upgrades, he noted, that have already been completed.

Visibly frustrated, Dush recalled his participation in recent Appropriations Committee hearings, where he initially accepted the department’s claims in good faith.

“I was taking your figures at face value. I don’t do that anymore,” he said, drawing applause from the crowd.

He went on to accuse the Department of Corrections of evading questions about the makeup of the DOC Steering Committee and the process behind its recommendation to close Rockview and Quehanna Boot Camp.

Noting that the Department of Corrections’ mission is to help reintegrate offenders into society, Dush questioned the decision to close two of the public safety facilities with the lowest recidivism rates in the state.

“You’re taking the two most effective facilities in the Commonwealth and taking them offline,” Dush said, asking rhetorically what impact that would have on communities across Pennsylvania.

He then requested the names of the committee members, all criteria used in the decision-making process and proof that those criteria were applied uniformly to every institution in the Commonwealth. His demands joined Rep. Takac’s, who had independently requested records of all repairs and upgrades completed over the past 10 years, information on current and already contracted projects and detailed estimates of one-time mothballing costs, ongoing maintenance expenses and future project breakdowns.

SCI Rockview Superintendent Bobbi Salamon emphasized the facility’s alignment with the Department of Corrections’ mission, highlighting staff dedication, proactive maintenance and effective programming that supports inmate rehabilitation. She pointed to Rockview’s lower recidivism rates, unique vocational offerings like its forestry camp and animal programs, and community contributions as evidence of the prison’s value to the Commonwealth.

“What sets Rockview apart is our success related to these programs. Lower recidivism results in less victims, safer communities and stronger family bonds. This is what Rockview does for the Commonwealth,” said Salamon. “The work ethic and reentry skills gained by these inmates is unmatched.”

Commissioners from both Centre and Clinton counties were also in attendance, each outlining their reasons for opposing the proposed prison closures.

Centre County Commissioner Mark Higgins called the closure, “A huge $118 million-dollar-a-year hole blown into the heart of the rural Central Pennsylvania economy.”

On March 4, the Centre County Board of Commissioners issued a letter to the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. In it, they challenged the arguments made by the DOC’s steering committee and presented a preliminary economic impact model.

“At best, closures may achieve savings in the short term, but they do not solve the root causes of cost growth and will likely introduce new, harder-to-resolve issues,” the commissioners wrote. “The ripple effects of thousands of DOC staff being bumped in an ever-widening chain reaction will create havoc with staffing, recruiting and overtime for years to come.”

In their economic impact model, the commissioners estimate an adjusted total job loss of 714 positions and a population decline of approximately 4,000 residents. The projected annual economic impact includes $50.2 million in wage loss, $35.7 million in spinoff job loss, $32 million in reduced local purchases and $41,390 in lost per capita funding. Altogether, they estimate a total economic loss of nearly $118 million per year.

“The $120 million savings proposed from the closure of Rockview and Quehanna are likely an illusion,” they wrote.

“In addition to employees and their families, there would be significant harm to the citizens and the economies of Centre, Clearfield and Clinton counties resulting from these closures. Ultimately, any savings at the state level are being taken from the local counties in the form of losses,” the commissioners continued.

Karthaus, which is adjacent to Quehanna Boot Camp in Clearfield County, Higgins warned, “may cease to exist.”

Centre County Commissioner Amber Concepcion argued that the Department of Corrections’ focus on short-term savings from avoiding necessary capital improvements at Rockview fails to account for the long-term costs.

“These potential savings need to be balanced against the cost of disrupting programs that reduce recidivism, which could increase incarceration costs over the long term,” she said. “The removal of 892 jobs will have ripple effects throughout our local economy that will be felt not only in the loss of economic value, but in the numerous other roles these individuals fill in our communities, from volunteer firefighters and first responders to youth coaches and caregiving for elders.”

This sentiment was echoed by John Eckenrode, president of the Pennsylvania State Corrections Officers Association.

“Not only is it going to have an immediate impact, it’s going to have a generational impact,” said Eckenrode. “When these people leave the area, they’re not coming back, and we’re not replacing them with new employees.”

Eckenrode also raised concerns that relocating a large number of inmates at once would disrupt the existing power structures within the state’s carceral system.

“The DOC is a team. Each individual jail is a family, and we need to keep this family intact,” said Eckenrode.

Clinton County Commissioner Angela Harding explained that more than 100 county residents are employed at the two facilities under consideration for closure.

“Clinton County is a blue-collar county with just 38,000 residents,” she said. “Over 100 people losing their jobs would be hugely detrimental to our community.”

She challenged the Department of Corrections to consider the region’s higher education and career technical education programs, which offer corrections curriculum alongside the specialized programming that Rockview and Quehanna provide. Harding emphasized that these facilities serve as a resource not just for the local area, but for the entire state.

“My frustration lies with the fact that the Shapiro administration has failed to provide us with answers to the questions we have about why these two facilities within 30 miles of each other are being targeted for closure,” said State Rep. Kerry Benninghoff, R-Pa. 171. “The governor’s plan will have a tremendous negative effect on our regional economy with the loss of family-sustaining jobs and the impact on suppliers who provide services to these facilities. If the goal is to save money, a better way to do that would be to sell the vacant prisons that already exist, liquidate them and keep SCI Rockview and Quehanna Boot Camp in service.”

Other speakers included Michelle Miller, a representative from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; State Rep. Dallas Kephart, R-Pa. 73; Rep. Scott Conklin, D-Pa. 77; and President and CEO of the Chamber of Business and Industry Greg Scott.

Though she was unable to attend the public hearing, State Rep. Stephanie Borowicz, R-Pa. 76, urged people to attend the hearings and have their voice be heard.

“Just got done with a tour of Rockview! IT NEEDS TO STAY!” she wrote on social media.

Among the members of the public who offered comments, many were family members of Rockview staff. They decried the decision, expressing concern over the loss of preferred shifts, which they said would reduce time with their families, and raised concerns about safety. Others shared testimony from inmates who were not at liberty to attend the hearing.

While most speakers remained calm and some offered constructive alternatives, a few members of the public directed their frustration at DOC leadership.

Mike Cleveland, one of the speakers, expressed skepticism about the department’s intentions, saying he felt they weren’t truly there to listen to the public — prompting applause from the crowd.

“I would like to thank you for coming to at least lie to our face,” he said.

“I don’t mean that as an insult,” he continued. “I say you’re lying to our face because otherwise you’re just incompetent.”

Addressing Acting Secretary Christopher Oppman directly, Cleveland added that if he had walked around Rockview, he would know the $74 million figure was inaccurate.

In a comment made to WJAC, Governor Josh Shapiro reiterated the closure is “not a done deal.”

Harry stated that the Department of Corrections expects to make a decision by the week of May 12, which will immediately follow the end of the mandatory three-month public comment period.

Feedback can still be provided via email at ra-crdocclose@pa.gov or by leaving a voicemail at 888-316-8950.