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Message from the Superintendent

Harry-Laurel SCIC Supt 2019.JPGAs the current superintendent of SCI Camp Hill, and as someone who began her correctional career years after the SCI Camp Hill riots, I am grateful to those who had to endure such an horrific event, because that single event not only changed SCI Camp Hill, but it changed the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections forever.  

The riots will always be a reminder of the dangers of our business.  Although there are only six employees still working at SCI Camp Hill who were actually present when the riots took place, we will never forget that sentinel event and the resiliency and resolve shown by the staff who worked at SCI Camp Hill during the riots, and those who began employment shortly after the riots.  

These employees helped to rebuild a facility that was not only broken physically but also broken emotionally.

Shortly after the riots, SCI Camp Hill was given the mission to become the Central Diagnostic and Classification Center (CDCC) for the DOC.  Today, this is a mission that the staff have proudly embraced.  

As one of the two largest prisons in the DOC, SCI Camp Hill has housed numerous specialized units over the years, including the first Special Management Unit, a Secure Special Needs Unit, a Special Observation Unit, a Special Assessment Unit, a Mental Health Unit, three Therapeutic Communities, two Residential Treatment Units, a Diversionary Treatment Unit, a Restricted Housing Unit, and one of the longest-running dog training programs in the DOC.  

The determination, commitment and resilience that has been passed through generations of SCI Camp Hill employees is evident to this day.  Staff embrace every challenge and opportunity that comes their way.  

SCI Camp Hill is a far more secure facility than it was 30 years ago, thanks to upgrades in perimeter intrusion detection systems, interior fencing that allows for better containment of an incident, radio enhancements, drone detection, personal body alarms and other security and safety enhancements.  

Essentially, SCI Camp Hill has been under construction for the last 30 years.  However, it is the correctional knowledge, experience and life lessons that have been passed down throughout the last 30 years that have positively changed the culture of SCI Camp Hill.

Dr. Laurel R. Harry, Superintendent
State Correctional Institution at Camp Hill