Published: December 12, 2007 11:47 am      

Expansion of Pa. prison likely to create jobs

SOMERSET, Pa. - As about 200 new inmates a month crowd into Pennsylvania prisons, state officials are preparing a major expansion at SCI-Laurel Highlands in Somerset Township.

Part of a $600 million expansion across the state, a 230-bed medium-security cellblock is expected to be completed at Laurel Highlands by the end of next year.

The expansion is expected to create between 50 and 100 jobs, Somerset County Commissioner Chairman Jimmy Marker estimated.

"This is a big plus for our county," he said.

"These are good jobs - good paying, good benefits and recession proof."

The prefabricated cells will increase the prison's capacity by more than 20 percent and will house general population inmates at a complex that traditionally has centered around infirm or terminally-ill prisoners.

"Our population has been going up over the years to the point where we are not seeing any decrease coming anytime soon," said Susan McNaughton, spokeswoman for the state Department of Corrections.

"It's been driven by nonviolent or less-serious offenders," she added.

Bids for the $15.5 million expansion at Laurel Highlands are expected to be opened later this month, with construction to start 30 days afterward.

The expansion undoubtedly will add to the 482 jobs now at the prison, though an exact figure has not yet been determined, Laurel Highlands spokeswoman Betsy Nightingale said.

"We'll have to have staff to work in that building," she said.

As of Wednesday, the prison's population was 978, just below its capacity of more than 1,000.

As it stands, there are about two inmates for every employee.

"Our population has held pretty steady over the last few months," Nightingale said.

Laurel Highlands houses some general population inmates now, but some of those have medical issues. The new cells are considered security level 3, the mid-point on the state scale of 1 to 5 for ranking the risk of inmates.

"We do have some inmates who are considered Level 3, but because of their medical condition their security level is not as high," Nightingale said.

"It really won't affect us that much, because we have strict security procedures in place now. The main difference is the type of housing. In that building, we'll have actual cells, whereas the rest of the building is dormitory style."

No new cells are being constructed at neighboring SCI-Somerset, a medium-security prison, McNaughton said.

Kirk Swauger is a reporter for The Johnstown Tribune-Democrat.