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WILKES-BARRE &mdash; Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Secretary John Wetzel Wednesday said plans to close SCI Retreat continue, but the facility will remain &ldquo;viable&rdquo; in the event of a second COVID-19 outbreak in the fall.
				Wetzel testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee and said Retreat will close within two months, but it will be kept in a condition to easily reopen if needed.
				&ldquo;We are moving forward with our plan to close SCI Retreat,&rdquo; Wetzel said. &ldquo;But we will keep it ready to reopen if an outbreak recurs.&rdquo;
				Wetzel said the department continues to &ldquo;re-deploy&rdquo; staff and to relocate inmates to other facilities.
				SCI Retreat has been used as a quarantine facility for new prisoners until that responsibility is transferred to SCI Camp Hill.
				Gov. Tom Wolf ordered the closing of Retreat last winter.
				The Judiciary Committee hearing was held to discuss DOC&rsquo;s efforts to reduce the prison population in order to lessen COVID-19 exposure. Wolf issued an executive order on April 10 establishing a temporary reprieve process to empty prisons of non-violent and vulnerable inmates based on set criteria and place them under community supervision.
				The hearing examined the Wolf administration&rsquo;s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic during the past two months.
				Sen. Lisa Baker, Senate Judiciary Committee Majority Chair, expressed concerns about the constitutionality of using the reprieve process under emergency powers. She said the committee will consider legislation to specifically address the early release of inmates in future emergencies.
				&ldquo;The consensus coming out of the hearing is that well-crafted legislation will provide needed guidelines for future executive action on inmate releases during public emergencies and offer an essential layer of protection to communities,&rdquo; said Baker, R-Lehman Township. &ldquo;There seems a willingness to pursue this in a collaborative fashion. If successful, this effort could open the door to resolving other process reforms in criminal justice discussed in recent years. Overall, there is a fairly broad commitment to the dual goals of extending restorative justice and reducing correctional costs for taxpayers.&rdquo;
				Wetzel testified that Wolf&rsquo;s emergency reprieve policy has led to the release of 151 state prison inmates to house arrest during the past month. Her said seven released inmates violated the reprieve rules and were returned to prison.
				Both state Victim Advocate Jennifer Storm and Greg Rowe, legislative director, for the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association, said decisions about early release should consider the inmate&rsquo;s potential for domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse. Luzerne County District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis also testified,.
				In her opening remarks, Baker said there has been a growing consensus within state government that it is desirable to reduce the prison population, for reasons rooted in restorative justice and financial impact on state taxpayers.
				&ldquo;This debate, as with so many others, has taken on a new dimension in this time of coronavirus,&rdquo; Baker said. &ldquo;Prisons are among the type of concentrated population settings that are susceptible to the easy spread of the virus. That creates health and safety concerns and constitutional issues.&rdquo;
				Baker said the governor has responded by exercising his power of reprieve.
				&ldquo;Where such power exists, there is a parallel obligation for us to engage in fact-finding and oversight.,&rdquo; Baker said. &ldquo;We must be sure the public interest is being served when a prison release process that is not set forth in law is being utilized, and the screening methods are not apparent to the majority of people who have been confined to their homes for the better part of two months.&rdquo;
				Baker said she and the committee were seeking clarity on how prisoners are being selected for release.
				&ldquo;Who is being picked, how are they selected, why these particular individuals, what in practical terms does a reprieve constitute, and what does the record look like so far in placement and result?&rdquo; Baker asked.
				&ldquo;One reprieve granted to the wrong person is one too many for citizens worried about public safety.&rdquo;

Wetzel: SCI Retreat will close, but kept ready to be used if necessary