The stony, towering walls of Graterford State Prison that secure more than 3,000 inmates will soon be replaced with a high-tech, newer version.

The prison, which was constructed in the 1920s, will soon be closing down for a newly constructed prison that officials say will better serve the purposes intended for a correctional facility, writes Marian Dennis for The Times Herald.

“We’re really very excited to assume this building. We really believe that this is going to function so much better than Graterford. Graterford is old and falling apart. It was built in 1929 and has had hard use all of those years. So we’re moving to a facility that is brand new, that is state-of-the-art,” said Graterford Superintendant Cynthia Link.

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The $350 million, 3,422-bed SCI Phoenix Prison is the largest single contract ever issued by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania consisting of 1 million square feet, according to Heery International, the design-builder for the prison. It will include two male facilities, named Phoenix East and Phoenix West, as well as a separate Female Transitional Unit.

SCI Phoenix prison is slated to replace Graterford State Prison by summer of 2018. Inmates and employees will be transferred to the new prison once the building is completed.

As the new prison is constructed, new and improved security measures are at the forefront of the effort. State Correctional Institution Phoenix will have a new type of security fence that will be a significant upgrade from Graterford’s 34-foot concrete wall.

In addition to many other new additions, SCI Phoenix will also include several features aimed at visitors, including an area designated for children.

“We’ve dedicated space for children. At Graterford, having kids come to the visiting room was like an afterthought,” said Link. “We’ve had to be creative in how we’ve made that space kid-friendly. In this institution, we’re starting out with the opportunity to be kid-friendly.”

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