The State Correctional Institution – Greene (SCI Greene) is a maximum security prison, classified as a Supermax,[1] located in Franklin Township, Greene County, Pennsylvania, near Waynesburg, off Interstate 79 and Pennsylvania Route 21.[2][3] Pennsylvania Department of Corrections operates the prison, which previously housed most of Pennsylvania's capital case inmates.[3]
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| Location | Franklin Township, Greene County, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Status | Open |
| Security class | Supermax |
| Capacity | 1,853 |
| Population | 1,569 (85.7%) (as of October 31, 2023) |
| Opened | November 9, 1993 |
| Managed by | Pennsylvania Department of Corrections |
| Governor | Josh Shapiro |
| Warden | Michael Zaken |
| Website | SCI Greene |
| Notable prisoners | |
| Mumia Abu-Jamal, Jimmy Dennis, Jerry Sandusky | |
It is in the far southwest of the state,[4] near the border with West Virginia, in a rural area.[5]
History
editSCI Greene opened in late 1993.[3][6]
Around 1996, some prisoners stated that some guards used more force than necessary to control them, and a video camera had captured evidence related to the complaint. Charles Graner, a prison guard who began working at SCI Greene in 1996, was the defendant in two lawsuits, each by a different prisoner; both lawsuits were dismissed as one disappeared after finishing his sentence and the other had submitted his lawsuit after a deadline. Graner later became known for the Abu Ghraib scandal.[5]
At some point all of the death penalty prisoners at Greene were moved to SCI Phoenix.[7]
Facility and operations
editThe prison had 11 cell blocks. As of 2012[update] SCI Greene had 1,750 prisoners and 720 employees. The death row prisoners are in blocks G and L; they normally stay in their cells but may go to a recreational area and the library.[6] Greene was built with the newest features at the time, including central air conditioning.[5]
The prison had cable television installed at the time of its opening.[5]
Demographics
editAs of 2012[update], SCI Greene had 157 death row prisoners, about 75% of the prisoners under Pennsylvania state death sentences.[6]
Notable inmates
editLife imprisonment:
- Cosmo DiNardo, convicted of four murders in Bucks County in 2017.[8]
- Ben Birdwell, one of the murderers of the Freeman family.
- Russell Maroon Shoatz, convicted in the murder of Police sergeant Francis Von Colln. Founder of Black United Movement in Philadelphia; former member of the Black Panther Party and the Black Liberation Army
- Danilo Cavalcante Convicted of murder after killing his ex-girlfriend. Mostly known for his escape from Chester County Prison
Other imprisonment
- Jerry Sandusky
- Robert Loren Masters, Jr, one of the murderers of Jennifer Daugherty.[8]
Death row:
- Christopher Roney (alias Cool C), hip hop artist, convicted in the murder of Philadelphia Police Department officer Lauretha Vaird in a bank robbery.
- Harvey Miguel Robinson, serial killer moved to State Correctional Institution – Phoenix in 2018.
- Richard Baumhammers, spree killer. Moved to State Correctional Institution - Somerset.
- Ricky Smyrnes, one of the murderers of Jennifer Daugherty, since moved to Correctional Institution – Phoenix.[8]
- Raghunandan Yandamuri, murderer and kidnapper, since moved to Correctional Institution – Phoenix.[9]
Notable staff
edit- Charles Graner (began in 1996, later became an Abu Ghraib military prison guard)[5]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ America's Supermax Prisons Do Torture Retrieved 2011-01-25.
- ^ "2020 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Franklin township, PA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. p. 2 (PDF p. 3/6). Retrieved 2022-08-01.
State Correctional Institution Greene
- 2010 Map Index and pages 1, 2, and 3. - ^ a b c "SCI Greene." Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. Retrieved on May 23, 2010.
- ^ Wetzel, Dan. "Jerry Sandusky's slim chance for appeal hurt by decision to send him to supermax prison." (Archive) Yahoo! News. Thursday November 1, 2012. Retrieved on August 16, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e Lieberman, Paul and Dan Morain. "Unveiling the Face of the Prison Scandal." Los Angeles Times. June 19, 2004. Retrieved on July 9, 2016. p. 3.
- ^ a b c Yates, Riley. "Life on Death Row." McCall. August 4, 2012. p. 1.
- ^ Hurst, David (2024-03-02). "DOC: Some Pa. death row inmates now housed at SCI-Somerset". The Tribune-Democrat. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
- ^ a b c "Inmate/Parolee Locator".
- ^ "COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA v. RAGHUNANDAN YANDAMURI (2017)". FindLaw. Retrieved 6 April 2024.