SUNBURY -- Newswatch 16 was allowed to get a tour of the burned-out prison in Northumberland County.
County leaders invited Newswatch 16 inside the prison that burned in January to prove a point. They want to show the critics why it is better to build a whole new prison, rather than repair the old one in Sunbury that caught fire.
If you drive down Second Street in Sunbury, the Northumberland County Prison is hard to miss. But until now it was hard to get a look at the fire damage inside. Newswatch 16 got a rare look inside the prison on Tuesday.
Northumberland County officials say they wanted the public to see the damage done to the prison by the fire on January 14. It's obvious, including debris like nails on the floor and charred rubble everywhere.
And on top of all the fire damage, Lieutenant Jim Smink wanted to point out to those trying to save the prison, that these low ceilings are now code violations.
"Smaller citizens back in the day and they weren't worried about handicapped accessible or making it comfortable for anybody," Smink said.
"Any work that would have to be done, it would all have to be brought to code. It would be counter-productive to use taxpayer dollars to do that which would outweigh the cost of building a new facility," Commissioner Steve Bridy said.
But the head of a group called "Save the Northumberland County Prison" told us, "I would like to see it intact and continue to save it if we can."
The Northumberland County Prison Board recently voted to rebuild the prison in Sunbury at the site of the former Celotex plant. They just have to make sure the ground is environmentally safe.
But some people in the neighborhood don't want a new prison here.
"It's stupid. Why? If they break out they're coming here, let's go here," Linda Summers said.
"You have them big lights. Who wants that? Especially with the houses back there. They ain't gonna get away from those lights at night," Robin Kratzer said.
Those environmental studies on the former Celotex site are expected to wrap up soon. As for the old prison, the Northumberalnd County commissioners still have no solid plan for the future of the fire damaged building.
