Luzerne County officials tour SCI Retreat in Newport Township

Approximately 30 Luzerne County government representatives toured the closed State Correctional Institution at Retreat in Newport Township Monday morning to start determining if it could be used for a county prison.

State Rep. Aaron Kaufer had urged the county to consider taking possession of the site, saying it’s possible the state would transfer the property to the county for $1.

Several county participants emphasized more due diligence is needed before a takeover is brought to county council for its consideration.

“There are good things and bad things about the property,” said county Correctional Services Division Head Mark Rockovich. “It’s a lot of information to digest.”

Council members Brian Thornton, Kevin Lescavage and John Lombardo accepted the administration’s invitation for council members to attend the tour, which ran more than two hours.

Thornton, who has a mechanical engineering degree and worked as a project engineer in New York City before becoming a financial advisor, said he saw potential in four large buildings constructed in the late 1980s known as cell blocks A, B, C and D that can collectively hold more than 800 inmates.

“In my opinion they are in really fine shape, and they are much more modern,” Thornton said.

Thornton said he is looking for alternatives because the county’s aging prison on Water Street in Wilkes-Barre will continue requiring repairs. Adapting the former state prison for county reuse would be expensive but less costly than new construction, he said.

“I don’t think anybody is seriously looking at building a new prison. The cost would be enormous, so we’re looking at alternatives,” Thornton said.

The Newport Township site is already surrounded with fencing and razor wire, he said.

There are approximately 20 structures in the complex, he said.

Demolition may be necessary for an original structure dating back to the late 1800s, Thornton said.

According to prior reports, the Central Poor District of Luzerne County established an almshouse for the indigent there in 1878. A hospital for those with mental health conditions was added in 1900. The property was known as the Retreat Hospital for the Insane and Almshouse for 30 years and renamed the Retreat Mental Hospital in 1930. The county operated that facility until 1943, when it was transferred to state control.

The hospital formally closed in 1981, and it opened as a state prison in January 1988, the site said.

A building used for meals appeared to be in good condition, Thornton said.

He supports a professional feasibility study to identify all work that would be required and the costs.

“The buildings would need a lot of upgrades, including a heating system, but the state is offering it at no charge. That’s hard to turn your nose at,” Thornton said.

SCI Retreat closed in June, with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections planning to minimally maintain the site.

Rockovich said he brought a team of county employees with varied professional expertise. They will meet in coming days to formulate a recommendation to council, he said.

One of the past concerns about county occupancy was the condition of the bridge over the Susquehanna River that is used to access the site. However, Rockovich said he was informed the state recently completed $2 million in repairs on the span.

County Acting Manager Romilda Crocamo also participated in the tour and said the administration will seek additional information on the property for council.

“I am encouraged that we have elected state representatives and council members taking an interest in the situation regarding the prison and the fact that we need a long-term solution,” Crocamo said.

Current prison

During a November budget presentation, Rockovich requested $11.8 million from the county’s $113 million federal American Rescue Plan funds to expand and repair the current prison.

The administration has not yet asked council to vote on this entire package.

Instead, council agreed to the administration’s request for up to $1.53 million in American Rescue funding to repair prison roof leaks and replace the outdated fire security system and elevators.

Some elevator repairs had been completed after a fifth-floor elevator door swung open at the base in 2016, resulting in the deaths of a correctional officer and an inmate. However, Rockovich has said the elevator motor system and controls must be updated, largely because replacement components are now difficult to find. The elevators are in constant use for the transport of meals, laundry and inmates heading to court appearances and treatment, he has said.

“This work is very costly, but we have to do it because it’s somewhat of an emergency,” said Thornton, who took office in January. “It’s an old building and requires a lot of maintenance.”