Sep. 19—The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (PADOC) announced this week that it will close the State Correctional Institution (SCI) at Rockview and the Quehanna Boot Camp after completing robust outreach to stakeholders and analysis.
The closure process will begin immediately and take place over a term of at least four months.
“This announcement comes after a thorough review of stakeholder input and analysis of the impact of closure on staff, department operations, the community, and the incarcerated population,” said PADOC Secretary Dr. Laurel R. Harry.
Key factors in the decision to close SCI Rockview and the Quehanna Boot Camp include a decline in the incarcerated population and aligning Department resources with today’s needs. The closures are expected to save the Commonwealth up to $100 million in future fiscal years.
Every employee at SCI Rockview and Quehanna Boot Camp is guaranteed a job offer at their existing pay and classification levels. Both Centre County and Clearfield County are home to other SCIs — and there are multiple facilities in neighboring counties — providing several opportunities for affected employees to relocate. Department leadership will continue to engage with relevant labor unions to transition staff members to nearby PADOC facilities.
The incarcerated population will be gradually transferred to facilities that best meet their individualized programming, security, healthcare and other needs. Boot Camp and other specialized programming and housing units will be relocated to other facilities and continue to operate.
DOC leadership will be visiting SCI Rockview and Quehanna Boot Camp to discuss the closure directly with staff.
Department of Aging work leads to faster response times
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging (PDA) this week announced that 46 out of Pennsylvania’s 52 local aging agencies that provide a host of services to older adults — including protective services — are responding to reports of suspected elder abuse in a timely manner more than 90% of the time, often within 24 hours.
This is a marked improvement from previous years, when just 24 agencies scored above 90% in 2019-2020, 34 in 2020-2021 and 40 in both 2021-2022 and 2022-2023.
AAAs are required by law to have a face-to-face visit with older adults who may need protective services after receiving a Report of Need (RON). The timeliness of the visit depends on how the RON is categorized.
When the report is categorized as an emergency or priority, for example, the AAA must meet with the individual within 24 hours of receiving the RON. The Department monitors and measures each AAA monthly on the percentage of cases where face-to-face compliance was achieved within the required regulatory time frames.
The Department is continuously evaluating the criteria used to measure performance to ensure that results accurately reflect current policy and regulatory standards, such as measuring emergency and priority RONs against a 24-hour deadline and acknowledging when a consumer is unable to be located.
This accomplishment is the direct result of the Department’s overhauled approach to monitoring the AAAs more aggressively, to both hold them accountable and boost transparency of the process.
“While there are many measures that we look at when evaluating a AAA’s performance on protective services, the first priority when there is a Report of Need is to get out to see the older adult in person, assess their safety and address any immediate concerns,” said Secretary of Aging Jason Kavulich. “Through our comprehensive process for evaluating AAA performance, the Department has been working closely with the AAAs on all performance metrics, and we are proud that the performance on this key metric largely ranges from solid to excellent — a network average of 94%. It is evident that our work is focused on quality improvement and that our continuous monitoring benefits and protects older Pennsylvanians.”
Across Pennsylvania, AAAs investigate nearly 40,000 cases of suspected abuse each year. Reports of suspected abuse can be made to a AAA or to the statewide elder abuse helpline at — 1-800-490-8505.
The Helpline is answered live 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and all calls are confidential.
PennDOT sets meeting for Little Shickshinny Creek project
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) invites the public to virtual and public plans displays regarding the Route 4004 pipe project over Little Shickshinny Creek.
The public plans display will be held at the Salem Township Municipal Building, 38 Bomboy Lane, Berwick, at 6 p.m. on Oct. 7.
The purpose of the project is to provide a sustainable crossing over the Little Shickshinny Creek that provides a two-lane bridge, addresses the structural deficiencies, and provides continued access to residents, businesses, and emergency services.
The project consists of replacing the existing quadruple reinforced concrete pipe structure with a precast reinforced concrete box culvert. Additional proposed work includes approach pavement replacement, rock scour protection, and guide rail updates. The new culvert will provide two 10-foot lanes with 2-foot shoulders for a new roadway width of 24 feet.
The virtual plans display are available online Sept. 23, through Nov. 7. Information, including proposed detour route, detailed project information and comment form can be found by visiting the following PennDOT District 4-0 website.
The project documents can be made available in alternative languages or formats if requested.
Walsh to host veterans recognition event
State Rep. Jamie Walsh, R-Ross Township, will host a Veterans Recognition Event and Expo for Luzerne County veterans on Saturday, Nov. 1, in conjunction with Misericordia University.
“Our veterans and their family members have sacrificed a great deal for our country, and this is one small way in which we can honor them,” said Rep. Walsh. “The vendors present that day will also have a lot of helpful information to share targeted specifically for veterans and their family members.”
The event will include a recognition ceremony along with dozens of vendors offering programs and services for veterans and their family members. Light refreshments will be served.
It will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Lemmond Theater and Insalaco Hall, Misericordia University, 301 Lake St., Dallas.
Registration is required for this event — veterans can each bring one guest.
RSVP by Oct. 24 by calling 570-675-6000 or going to www.RepWalsh.com.
Bill introduced to help afford bulletproof vests
U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Pittsburgh, and U.S. Rep. Andrew Garbarino, R-New York, this week introduced the new Bipartisan Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program Expansion Act.
This measure would increase the amount that states, units of local law enforcement, and federally recognized Native American tribes can be reimbursed when participating in the Patrick Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership (BVP) Program.
This bill came out of a meeting between Deluzio and a police chief in his district, who noted the skyrocketing price of bulletproof vests for his police force.
“We’ve got to have safe communities, and that means making sure that the brave men and women of law enforcement have what they need to protect and serve all of us,” Deluzio said.
Created by the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 1998, the BVP program reimburses states, units of local government, and federally recognized Indian tribes for up to 50 percent of the cost of body armor vests purchased for law enforcement officers.
Since 1999, over 13,000 jurisdictions have participated in the BVP Program, with a total of $573 million in federal funds for the purchase of over 1.5 million body armor vests.
Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.