Major Security Improvements Reduce Tower Staffing Needs at Five State Prisons

Changes Maintain Safety, Enable Significant Savings to Taxpayers

HARRISBURG, Pa., March 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Advancements in technology and substantial upgrades to perimeter security at Pennsylvania's state prisons will allow the Department of Corrections to reduce staffing levels at the towers of five facilities without compromising safety, Secretary of Corrections Jeffrey A. Beard, Ph.D., said today.

Beard said the move, which is expected to save the commonwealth nearly $5 million, will begin in May and will be fully implemented by June.

The affected prisons are the state correctional institutions at Camp Hill, Cumberland County; Dallas, Luzerne County; Graterford, Montgomery County; Huntingdon, Huntingdon County; and Rockview, Centre County.  

Beard noted that the five facilities -- all of which were built before 1961 -- are the oldest in the state's system, and that 22 of the state's prisons, including the newest maximum security prisons, already operate without perimeter towers.

"Over the last several decades, we have spent millions of dollars strengthening our prisons' perimeters and security," Beard said. "These enhancements, coupled with security improvements made within the prisons, all greatly reduce the need to staff perimeter towers around the clock, without compromising safety inside or outside of our prisons.

"In fact, this move will bolster security inside our facilities by allowing us to place officers at posts inside the prisons where they can be better utilized. Due to our improvements, the towers no longer require round-the-clock staffing."  

Initially, tower staffing will be reduced except for times when there are major inmate movements within the prisons, such as when inmates are exercising in the yards. The first phase of staffing changes will be implemented by the end of June.  

In recent decades, modern prison designs have replaced towers with high-tech electronic perimeter intrusion detection systems and perimeter cameras. Today, the perimeters at each of Pennsylvania's 26 prisons have multiple layers of razor wire as an additional barrier to prevent an inmate from approaching and climbing the fence.

Prison perimeters and internal compound activities are also monitored centrally by trained staff around the clock, while armed mobile units patrol the perimeter continuously and rapidly respond to alarms.  

The corrections department also uses biometric systems that use inmate and staff photos and fingerprints to control movement in and out of an institution.

Officers who presently staff the towers will be assigned to posts within the prisons during hours when the towers are not in use. Placing these officers inside the prisons will help to offset overtime costs and provide an estimated annual savings of $4.8 million.

Media contact: Susan McNaughton, 717-975-4879

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Corrections

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