Opened 1987 | ||
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Location Cresson Township, Cambria County, Pennsylvania Security class Close-Security, Medium-Security Managed by Pennsylvania Department of Corrections | ||
State Correctional Institution – Cresson was a medium-security, all male correctional facility, located off U.S. Route 22, about 10 miles west of Altoona along Old Route 22 in the Western part of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. On April 17, 2012 a SCI-Pine Grove van crashed near Hollidaysburg, PA while carrying 10 inmates and 2 correctional officers. No inmates escaped and several were treated for minor injuries at a local hospital.
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On January 8, 2013 state officials announced the prison would be closed. The prison closed June 30, 2013 and the land was put up for sale by the state.
Creation of SCI-Cresson
Under Executive Order of then-Governor Dick Thornburgh in January, 1983, This facility, formerly the Lawrence Frick State Hospital for the mentally ill, was to be transferred to the Bureau of Corrections for its current use. The construction/renovation process at Cresson was allocated at $20.6 Million. Construction/renovation began in 1984, and the design of the new housing units for inmates was prototyped in future institutions across the commonwealth. The activation team was created in the fall of 1986. SCI Cresson opened in 1987, becoming a medium-security correctional facility for men.
Inmate Van Crash
On April 17, 2012, the SCI Pine Grove van carrying 10 inmates and 2 correctional officers crashed near Hollidaysburg, Pa. All inmates were accounted for. The driver of the car the van crashed with died. 10 inmates and 2 Correctional Officers were taken to the Altoona Regional Hospital and treated for minor injuries. SCI Pine Grove, located in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, is a maximum-security facility for Young Adult Offender males. The Young Adult Offender Program (YAOP) is primarily designed for those offenders between the ages of 15-20 adjudicated as adults due to the nature of the criminal offense committed. The YAOP meets their special needs of education, adolescent development and recreational activity, while providing a safe environment for those offenders.