State Rep. Neal P. Goodman has established an online petition to keep the state from closing the state Correctional Institution at Frackville.

The state Department of Corrections plans to choose two from five correctional facilities to close by the end of June. Frackville is one of the choices.The final decision will be made public Jan. 26.In addition to Frackville, in Schuylkill County, the prisons are Retreat, Luzerne County; Waymart, Wayne County; Pittsburgh, Allegheny County; and Mercer, Mercer County.Secretary of Corrections John Wetzel announced the plan Friday.Goodman, D-Schuylkill, has the petition on his website,

http://www.pahouse.com/Goodman/.The annual cost to operate Frackville in 2017-2018 is estimated to be $56,983,000, according to the state. Closing it would save $44,000,000 a year.Frackville employs 409 people.State Sen. John T. Yudichak, D-Luzerne/Carbon, has called for public hearings on the planned closures.He also has said the state should work to reduce overtime at the prisons rather than close them.State Rep. Gerald J. Mullery, D-Luzerne, also has a petition on his website to oppose the closing of the state prison at retreat.Visit

http://www.pahouse.com/Mullery/