1/16/17
by News Department on 01/16/17Prison recycling...
As lawmakers mull closing two state prisons, the question of what to do with the empty, aging buildings remains.
The Wolf administration plans to close two state correctional institutions out of five possible locales this year under a cost-saving move.
Three of the five prisons; SCI/Waymart, SCI/Retreat and SCI/Frackville, are in Northeast Pennsylvania. The other two, SCI/Mercer and SCI/Pittsburgh, are in western Pennsylvania.
Administration officials are considering potential reuse of these facilities as part of an economic impact analysis.
Both Waymart and Retreat are already recycled facilities. Retreat was a state mental health hospital and Waymart is the former Farview State Hospital.
The Department of General Services handles the recycling process for closed facilities.
A Jan. 26 deadline has been set.
