State Sen. John Yudichak, D-Luzerne/Carbon, and state Rep. Gerald Mullery met with SCI-Retreat corrections officers at an informational meeting hosted by the Pennsylvania State Corrections Officer Association. The meeting followed a conference call the legislators held earlier Monday morning with the Department of Corrections on the potential closure of SCI-Retreat in Newport Township.

"The only responsible course of action for the Department of Corrections is to remove the self-imposed closure decision deadline of Jan. 26, and hold public hearings to allow legislators, union leaders, local officials and taxpayers to voice their concerns on the devastating impact the loss of nearly four hundred jobs will have on Luzerne County," Yudichak said.Department of Corrections officials told Yudichak and Mullery the department will meet with the Department of Community and Economic Developmenttoday to begin the economic impact study of closing state facilities."How can you do a fair analysis in just 11 days on what the direct loss of $57.3 million will have on the community of Newport Township and the families of northeastern Pennsylvania?" Mullery asked.The Wolf administration and the Department of Corrections have scheduled Jan. 26 as the date when the closure of two state prisons will be announced. The two selected prisons will then be decommissioned by June 30.