By Mark Gilger
The News-Item
SUNBURY — The historic and archaic Northumberland County Prison destroyed by fire Wednesday afternoon will not be rebuilt at its current location at 39 N. Second St.
“The prison, it’s completely shot. It cannot be rebuilt. It’s completely destroyed,” Commissioner Chairman Vinny Clausi said.
Northumberland County commissioners and prison board members unanimously decided at an emergency meeting Thursday morning to “explore all options” that include building a new prison or possibly housing inmates at a regionalized facility in the future in cooperation with other counties.
The prison has been condemned due to extensive damage sustained in the fire, which remains under investigation. The fire, which started shortly after 2 p.m. between the second floor and left wing attic area, is believed to be accidental and electrical in nature.
The estimated construction cost of a new 300-bed prison is $36 million.
Commissioner Stephen Bridy, prison board chairman, said the building is insured for $9.3 million and an additional $1 million for expenses. He described it as enough to offset the cost of a new facility if one is needed.
Clausi said potential sites for a new facility include 20 acres of land near SCI-Coal Township and the former Knight Cellotex plant on Front Street in Sunbury.
Clausi said it would take approximately 18 months to build a new prison.
“We can’t drag our feet,” he said. “We will make a decision in the next 30 days on which direction we will go. We will do what’s in the best interests of the taxpayers.”
Help received
Clausi, Bridy and Commissioner Richard Shoch said they plan to reach out to Gov. Tom Wolf and other state officials for assistance in dealing with the disaster, which not only left prisoners without housing, but also put the future employment of its 56 employees in jeopardy.
The commissioners and prison board members have already received help from state Department of Corrections Secretary John Wetzel, SCI-Coal Township Superintendent Vince Mooney, state Rep. Lynda Schlegel Culver (R-108) of the Sunbury area, state Sen. John Gordner (R-27) of Berwick and commissioners in other counties.
Bridy said 172 male inmates are currently being housed at SCI-Coal Township, while 36 female prisoners were transferred to SCI-Muncy.
He said 24 of the male inmates at the county prison were sentenced and awaiting transfer to a state facility. He said it costs the county $35 per day to house each inmate.
Bridy said state prison officials will allow the county to house their prisoners at SCI-Coal Township and SCI-Muncy for free up to 28 days due to the emergency created by the fire. Once the 28-day period elapses, the county will pay $100 per day to house each inmate at the state correctional institutions.
The commissioner commended Mooney for “going beyond the call of duty” to assist the county in making accommodations for the prisoners at the state prison. Bridy said 200 state inmates have been moved to other state institutions to make room for the county prisoners. “A separate wing has been created at SCI-Coal Township just for the county inmates,” he said.
Clausi said the county also is exploring the feasibility of housing inmates at Northwestern Academy in Coal Township and neighboring county prisons.
The commissioner said local architect Penn Seiple has volunteered his services to develop a small facility for the county to house a holding cell area that could accommodate 10 to 15 inmates overnight before they are taken to a magisterial district judge for arraignment.
The holding cells established last year at the prison had proven very successful in saving time and money by eliminating the need for officers to transport prisoners to arraignments at magistrate offices in Shamokin, Mount Carmel, Sunbury and Milton.
Workers
In addition to paying prison employees their regular rate for at least the next two weeks and those who aren’t eligible for unemployment compensation for the next four weeks, Clausi said the county will attempt to find employees jobs at other prisons, including SCI-Coal Township.
At least for the next two weeks, Bridy said correctional officers will be used to transport prisoners to and from their arraignments, preliminary hearings and routine legal proceedings at the courthouse instead of local police officers. He said Sheriff Robert Wolfe has agreed to allow the correctional officers to use one of his department’s vehicles to transport the inmates. The officers will also have access to a sheriff department van if needed.
Bridy said state constables, who were relieved of their transportation duties in January 2013 by the commissioners, may also be asked to transport prisoners in light of the emergency situation.
Clausi said Prime Care Medical Inc., the contracted health services provider at the prison, and food vendor Aramark, will decide the future employment of their workers.
“This is an unfortunate situation for all of us,” Clausi said. “But it’s good to see people come together in this time of need. “We’ve received an outpouring of support. We don’t have all the answers yet. We need more time to sort all this out.”
Meghan Beck, an official with Sunbury Revitalization Inc., expressed concerns about razing the county prison and the stone wall that surrounds the block-long facility built in 1876.
She said the prison is a landmark and has a lot of historical significance to the city.
Clausi said no decision has been made on demolishing the building or preserving it for a possible museum.