Thousands Of Inmates Begin Move From Graterford To New Prison

COLLEGEVILLE, PA — Thousands of inmates have begun the move from Graterford State Prison to the new, $400 million complex, SCI Phoenix.

A series of delays postponed the opening of the state of the art Phoenix, which officials say will house even more inmates than Graterford yet will be more cost-efficient. The long-awaited transfer of prisoners finally began on Wednesday morning, as officials locked down Graterford at around 9:15 a.m.

Graterford is now home to more than 2,5000 inmates, all of whom are being moved by bus to Phoenix. The moving process involves extensive security precautions as the population is moved to the new facility, which is about a mile down the road. Incident command centers are monitoring the transportation, while the prison grounds have been made off limits to everyone. The roads are closed to the public, and a secure perimeter around the prisons has been established by guards and the Pennsylvania State Police.

It's not clear exactly how long the transfer will take place. Hundreds of inmates are expected to be moved each day.

Officials have recognized the "anxiety" caused by the move among both inmates and staff, but are optimistic the move can be a net positive. The prison has been marred by the recent "suicide cluster" within its walls that led to five deaths over a period of several weeks earlier this year.

"Employees and inmates have been waiting patiently for this move to take place," Corrections Secretary John Wetzel said in a statement. "We are aware of the anxiety that this move has caused everyone, and we have worked diligently to plan for every aspect and to ensure that the transition is smooth for everyone involved."

The $400 million prison is the most expensive prison in the state and among the most expensive Pennsylvania state facilities of any kind. But the state is confident in the long term savings of the project, saying its efficiency will save taxpayers millions per year. Moreover, the new facility has vastly expanded program space and 21st century security features, both of which are notable improvements on Graterford, which was built in 1929.

The new 3,422-bed prison is broken into two major units, SCI Phoenix East and SCI Phoenix West. Both are male facilities. There is also a separate Female Transitional Unit, which allows inmates who are mothers to have proximity to their children and resources for soon to be released inmates to ease their transition back into society.

The male facility contains seven housing buildings, which each contain 144 cells and 282 beds, according to Heery International, the Atlanta-based firm which designed the prison. There are three additional buildings that have 96 beds.

The complex as a whole is one million square feet. Heery said SCI Phoenix represented the largest contract they ever received.

Image via Pennsylvania Department of Corrections