If you've ever wondered what were the best prisons in Pennsylvania here's a list for you. There are some of the best prisons in the state of Pennsylvania. If you're planning a visit to a prison, this list could come in handy for you.
These are some of the best prisons in Pennsylvania, organised according to their security level. We will be covering 10 of the most common prisons, and each prison has unique features; from recreation to food, each has different aspects that make them unique.
Top 10 Best Prisons In The State of Pennsylvania
The following is a list of the ten best prisons in Pennsylvania:
- New Jersey State Prison
- USP Canaan
- SCI Rockview
- SCI Camp Hill Range
- FCI McKean
- LSCI - Allenwood
- SCI Greene
- SCI Fayette
- Somerset State Correctional
- SCI Chester
1. New Jersey State Prison
New Jersey State Prison is a minimum- and medium-security state prison in Trenton, New Jersey. It was the first prison in the United States to open continuously in 1836, making it the oldest prison in the country. Trenton State Prison used to be the name of this facility.
Approximately 1,860 adult men and women are housed at this maximum-security prison. Before the state banned capital punishment in 2007, several death row inmates were housed at the New Jersey State Prison.
There have been several riots at the New Jersey State Prison. Due to Megan's Law, the list of registered sex offenders was made public, thus saving countless lives.
2. USP Canaan
As a high-security federal prison, Canaan United States Penitentiary is located in Waymart, Pennsylvania, and houses up to 1,340 male inmates. Another 160 inmates can be accommodated in the satellite camp's minimum security. The housing units at USP Canaan are divided into six different groups.
An inmate who must be placed in a disciplinary unit is housed in a Special Housing Unit within the camp. There is a capacity of 250 inmates in this housing unit. Educational programs or work assignments are required of inmates as a condition of release. Several USP Canaan's programs are designed to enable inmates to interact with each other and specialists.
Inmates are encouraged to be physically active by the Recreation Department indoors and outdoors. As part of the facility's drug abuse prevention programs and challenge programs, inmates are encouraged to strive for self-improvement. USP Canaan's mental health programs are designed to benefit inmates.
3. SCI Rockview
Rockview State Correctional Institution is located in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. Approximately 2,406 adult male offenders are housed in this medium-security prison. There are 103 buildings at the prison, including fourteen housing units. Multi-occupancy cells and dormitories are available at SCI Rockview.
Those who have been given the Death Penalty for male offenders are also housed at this facility to receive capital punishment. Inmates at SCI Rockview work as wood furniture makers in the Correctional Industries program.
4. SCI Camp Hill Range
The Camp Hill State Correctional Institution is a facility for receiving and classifying male offenders. The facility is responsible for assisting new inmates coming into the region who are detained at an initial stage. It is common for inmates to undergo an initial intake process involving fingerprinting, a mental and physical evaluation, and a physical examination.
During this process, inmates' security and rehabilitation needs will be determined. Nineteen different housing units are available to house 3,490 inmates at Camp Hill. SCI Camp Hill is an inmate reception and classification facility with many activities for inmates.
5. FCI McKean
The Education Department at FCI McKean offers a variety of courses to inmates. A literacy program and an ESL program are required for inmates without a high school diploma. Additionally, inmates must work five days a week in addition to their education. There will be five seven-hour shifts worked by the inmates each day.
A tutoring assignment may also include performing orderly unit duties, sanitation work, providing food services, and other duties. Approximately $17,164 are saved each year by the facility's recycling programs.
6. LSCI - Allenwood
Allenwood Low is part of Union County, Pennsylvania, a minimum security federal correctional institution. An Allenwood Low program called RDAP treats drug abuse in residential settings. Addiction to alcohol and drugs is treated in the RDAP program through a voluntary program.
A variety of education courses are offered at Allenwood Low FCI for inmates, including adult education and GED courses, as well as responsibilities for personal, social and legal development. For their work, inmates receive an hourly wage, which may be used for commissary purchases.
7. SCI Greene
The SCI Greene is a state-of-the-art, fully integrated golf course community located in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania. There are a large number of inmates on death row at this prison. There are approximately 1,760 inmates incarcerated at SCI Greene at the moment.
Eleven housing units are available to inmates; some are multi-occupancy cells, while others are open dormitories. Fifty-six inmates work in a garment factory operated by the correctional industries program.
It is one of the few correctional institutions that offers inmates education courses like basic education, ESL, and GEDs. In addition to vocational training, offenders can take business, HVAC, and refrigeration classes. For inmates, there are mental health and parenting classes, deterrent programs, and sexual offences courses.
8. SCI Fayette
SCI Fayette is located in LaBelle, Pennsylvania. The facility provides various programs and services to the residents of SCI Fayette. There are approximately 2,054 inmates currently incarcerated in this maximum security prison. Among the eleven housing units are dormitories and multi-occupancy cells that house the inmates.
Inmate labour is employed in the license plate factory at SCI Fayette through the Correctional Industries program. The metal factory is also responsible for producing metal furniture for prison cells. Various vocational programs are available (although certificates are only available for some programs).
9. Somerset State Correctional
Somerset State Correctional Institution incarcerates approximately 2,365 adult males in medium security. Among the ten facility units, two are multi-occupancy cells, and the other is a dormitory.
One unit in the SCI Somerset housing units is dedicated to people with special needs. The community work program allows inmates to participate in landscaping and cleaning the Flight 93 Memorial as part of the community work program.
A GED is available to offenders without a diploma who take courses to earn their adult basic education. For sex offenders, SCI Somerset offers mandatory high-intensity programs that treat drug and alcohol abuse. The SCI Somerset also offers special classes for violence prevention, parenting, and mental health.
10. SCI Chester
SCI Chester is a correctional facility for men located in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. A total of 1,275 male inmates are housed in this facility, an all-male prison. A special treatment program is in place at SCI Chester for male offenders struggling with alcoholism or substance abuse.
A total of fourteen housing units exist in the facility, each of which consists of pods containing cells. In addition to substance abuse treatment, sex offender programming is available to those imprisoned for sexual offences.
Among the vocational training available to inmates are carpentry, barbering, and HVAC. The program offers literacy, adult basic education, and GED preparation courses.
Inmates at SCI Chester are treated in therapeutic communities by Gaudenzia, a not-for-profit organisation. A four-month program is offered in each of these communities for 64 inmates.
Final Words
Hopefully, you've learned a little bit about some of the prisons in Pennsylvania and have a better idea of which would be ideal for you. These prisons typically offer high-quality programs that prepare inmates to be productive and positive members of society once they are released from custody.
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