As Lancaster County pivots from purchasing land for its new prison to embarking on the planning and design process, a local advocacy group is offering its recommendations for the facility.
At Thursday's county Prison Board meeting, Kent Kroehler, the secretary of Have a Heart for Persons in the Criminal Justice System, presented an "executive summary" (PDF) of the organization's priorities for the project. Have a Heart will follow up in March with its full recommendations, he said.
The opportunity to build a new correctional facility is "an opportunity to do something really spectacular," Kroehler said, but "the design phase is crucial." In Have A Heart's view, he said, the facility should:
- Have no more than 1,000 beds;
- Be a "last recourse" for nonviolent offenders in a system that prioritizes diversion to appropriate treatment for drug and alcohol addiction or mental illness.
- Be an environmentally friendly facility that harmonizes with its surroundings, and one that demonstrate that "persons in prison are valued" by providing natural light, fresh air, indoor and outdoor recreation spaces and opportunities for the same kind of group activities people take part in "on the outside," such as playing games, studying and watching television.
- "Our primary goal," Kroehler said, quoting the summary, "is to build an institution that provides for positive change."
At the meeting, Commissioner Ray D'Agostino confirmed that the county completed the $3 million acquisition of the 78-acre Lancaster Township property on Friday and that the former owners, the Kreiders, will continue to farm there for the time being.
The county work group that shepherded the site selection and purchase process to completion is putting together a proposed timeline for planning and design, and expects to present it in March, D'Agostino said.
He thanked Kroehler for his comments and reiterated previous assurances from the commissioners that there will be "ample time in different formats" for public input during the planning process.
County Court President Judge David Ashworth said much of what Kroehler said "is consistent" with the court system's own position. There have been a lot of innovations in criminal justice, he said, and the court has no intention to revert to past practices.
