Community Sees Employment, Economic Gains

MARIENVILLE, Pa. — Forest County officials didn’t expect the Pennsylvania State Correctional Institution to radically alter economic life when it opened two years ago, but the facility has made a significant impact.

The prison is the county’s largest employer and provides jobs for 632 people from 28 counties. Forest County’s unemployment was previously between 12 percent and 14 percent for more than a decade, but that lowered to around 7.4 percent after the prison opened.

Every two weeks the prison disburses approximately $1.5 million in wages, according to reports. It is estimated that every payroll dollar that leaves the facility is circulated another three times in the region. A $500,000 increase in property assessment and growth at local businesses is also attributed to the facility.

The prison focuses on rehabilitation and, in addition to drug and alcohol counseling services and psychological services, it provides job training and education services.

Modern classroom and shop facilities feature vocational and technical training programs, including heating, ventilation and air conditioning; basic electrical skills; custodial maintenance; auto technology; drafting and design; and a barber program.

The prison uses inmate labor for daily maintenance and operations. Inmates can earn 19 to 51 cents per hour for various jobs, including shoveling snow, cooking and cleaning. Nonviolent, low-risk offenders participate in the prison’s community work program, which allows them to perform non-skilled tasks outside prison walls.