Rendell considers moving up opening date for new prison
HARRISBURG – Gov. Ed Rendell is considering moving up the opening date of the new prison in Fayette County. “The governor is aware of the issue, he is collecting information on the issue and will consider it and make a variety of decisions, based on the budgetary times were in,” said Rendell spokesman Michael Lukens.
The $135 million facility, which will hold 2,000 prisoners, is near completion and was originally scheduled to open early this year. But, with the state facing a budget deficit that could grow into $2 billion this year, the state Department of Corrections was asked to trim $15 million from its annual budget. As a result, the opening of the new prison in East Millsboro and another in Forest County will be delayed.
“The department either had to lay people off or delay opening these prisons,” spokeswoman Susan McNaughton said earlier. “We need the space, but we didn’t want to lay off people.”
Local officials say the new prison is vital to economic growth in the county and any delay will mean lost dollars
Lukens’ comments came in the wake of letters sent to Rendell by Fayette County Commissioner Vincent A. Vicities and state Sen. Richard Kasunic (D-Dunbar) urging the governor to reconsider the decision.
“I’m hoping we can get this decision revisited,” said Vicites. “I don’t want to settle for having a governor leaving office making that decision.”
Vicites wrote a letter to Rendell and delivered it to him while attending the Democrat governor’s inauguration earlier this week.
“I talked to him [and] … dropped off a letter asking him to revisit the issue,” he said. “I said that we want to get that prison up and running without delays. I don’t know what the result will be but I wanted to try.”
Vicites estimates the prison will have an economic “impact of millions and millions of dollars” for the county and create “good jobs, recession-proof jobs that you can raise a family on. We need these types of jobs in Fayette.”
“To allow a state-of-the-art facility such a SCI-Fayette to lie dormant may prove to be hazardous in an already over-capacitated system,” said Kasunic in his letter to Rendell. “We owe assurances of safety to our residents. Continuance of an already (overcapacity) prison system does not reassure their safety and well-being.”
Steve DeFrank, Kasunic’s chief of staff, said that Kasunic realizes that the state is in a fiscal crisis, but would like for Rendell or Beard to look into the matter to see what can be done to open the facility on schedule.
“We know a freeze was imposed. We know that’s real, but we want to see what they can do,” DeFrank said. “Our administration is going to do everything in our power to make sure that facility will open in a timely manner.”
Luzerne Township Supervisor Ron DeSalvo said he expected Kasunic to take action against the proposed delay.
“I said from the beginning that it’s up to our Legislature to get that prison open on time,” DeSalvo said. “I expected (Kasunic) and (Rep. Bill) DeWeese to take action to handle this. They are the ones closest to the governor. (The prison) is their baby. They are going to want to see this thing opened on time.”
DeSalvo said he has faith that Kasunic’s protests will get the prison open in August when the sewerage system will be complete.
“I feel Kasunic will get that prison open on time. I think it will be done. I look for (the prison) to open in August,” he said.
DeFrank said all they are hoping for at this point is for Rendell and Beard to check the budget and see what they can do.
But DeSalvo said he thinks if the budget is looked at more carefully, they may find that it is actually more beneficial to transport prisoners from overcrowded prisons to SCI-Fayette where it is cheaper to house prisoners.
According to DeSalvo it will cost $18,000 per year to house a prisoner at SCI-Fayette, compared to $32,000 at SCI Pittsburgh, known as Western Penitentiary.
SCI-Fayette Superintendent Philip Johnson said SCI-Fayette was originally meant to replace SCI-Pittsburgh.
The state correctional system’s inmate population reached an all-time high this year at 40,062 up from 34,433, according to McNaughton.