SCI Houtzdale
Facility in Pennsylvania
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
State Correctional Institution – Houtzdale is a 1500-bed correctional facility located outside Houtzdale in southern Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, along Pennsylvania Route 153.
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 Interactive map of State Correctional Institution - Houtzdale | |
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Security class | Medium-Security |
| Capacity | 1,587 |
| Opened | 1996 |
| Managed by | Pennsylvania Department of Corrections |
Background
SCI Houtzdale was built to address overcrowding elsewhere in Pennsylvania's prison system. The facility broke ground in 1994.[1] The facility cost $70 Million[citation needed] to construct and, when opened in January 1996, had a bed capacity of 1,587. In December of 2025, Houtzdale held 2,160 inmates against a public capacity of 2,420 individuals, or 89.3%.[2]
Illegal substances
The prison has had several incidents with illegal drugs. In March 2019, a member of prison staff was found to be delivering a "large quantity" of drugs to an inmate at the facility.[3] In 2025, a female visitor was found to have brought drugs to supply an inmate at the facility during a visitation meeting.[4]
Staff and inmate relations
In 2012, a corrections worker pled guilty to sexual assault against an inmate at the facility.[5] In April 2015, inmates refusing to return to their housing units started a riot that injured five members of staff.[6] In June 2019, an officer working at the facility was seriously hurt after an assault by an inmate.[7][8] In October 2019, a corrections worker was charged after she was found to be having a sexual relationship with an inmate.[9][10]
Inmates have described acts of cruelty by contractors working at the facility.[11]
Inmate deaths
The facility has had a number of inmate deaths. In August 2020, inmate Garrick Bloom was strangled to death, it was later ruled a homicide.[12] In January 2021, the facility reported their first inmate death to the COVID-19 pandemic.[13] In May 2022, an inmate was found dead in his cell.[14] In June 2023, Roberto Quevada was found dead in his cell after being killed by his cellmate.[15][16] In February 2024, Daniel Barnett was found dead in his cell.[17] That October, inmate Anthony Raimo was found dead in his cell.[18] The next month, inmate Lance Heverly was found unresponsive in his cell.[19]
Notable inmates
- Warren McGlone (alias Steady B) - Hip hop artist, convicted in the murder of Philadelphia Police Department officer Lauretha Vaird in a bank robbery. He's now in SCI Phoenix