Pennsylvania Bringing Back Inmates Housed In Virginia

HARRISBURG (CBS) - Pennsylvania, after bringing home inmates housed in Michigan earlier this year, is now preparing to bring back prisoners currently in Virginia facilities.

Pennsylvania had shipped about a thousand prisoners each to Michigan and Virginia due to overcrowding. However, Pennsylvania's prison population is leveling off and in addition to that, 1,300 new beds are being added at nine facilities in the state.

The inmates housed in Michigan are already back and now Sue McNaughton, Corrections spokeswoman, says discussions have begun with Virginia officials about bringing back those inmates.

"Just like we filtered them into Virginia, we'll filter them back out of Virginia. And we did that through our Camp Hill prison. So, I'm presuming we'll do that – again, bring them back in through the Camp Hill prison, and then we'll ship them out to the institutions from which they came," McNaughton said.

However, McNaughton adds that Pennsylvania will have to negotiate with Virginia to bring the inmates back sooner than 180 days notice stipulated in the contract.

Reported by Tony Romeo, KYW Newsradio 1060