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| Pennsylvania Prison Gets Reprieve |
| By Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |
| Published: 05/20/2002 |
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The venerable State Correctional Institution Pittsburgh received a stay of execution last week. Penn. State Corrections Secretary Jeffrey Beard announced that parts of SCI Pittsburgh will remain open next year, indefinitely postponing plans to completely close the 120-year-old facility. Half or more of the prison's 781 employees will likely remain on the job there in 2003. 'It's a reprieve,' said Allegheny County Chief Executive Jim Roddey. 'At least it gives us some time to continue discussions [with the state] about a more permanent solution.' 'This is very good news,' said state Rep. Don Walko D-North Side, who has opposed the closure of the prison. 'If we can keep 500 family-sustaining jobs, that's a major improvement over what they were saying.' The state intended to close the prison, located in Woods Run, after a new 2,000-bed prison opened in early 2003 in Luzerne, Fayette County. Beard said he changed his mind because of an increase in the number of inmates statewide, from 36,810 at the end of 2000 to 38,734 today. |
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