SCI Huntingdon: From the 1878 Industrial Reformatory to a Maximum-Security Prison

SCI Huntingdon has been part of Pennsylvania's correctional system for generations. The Pennsylvania General Assembly created it on June 12, 1878, and the Industrial Reformatory at Huntingdon received its first inmates in 1889. In 1960, the facility became a maximum-security, adult male state correctional institution. If you're looking for current visiting rules or day-to-day procedures, rely on the latest Pennsylvania DOC information - operations can change even when the history doesn't.

SCI Huntingdon's story begins with a formal authorization. The Pennsylvania General Assembly created it on June 12, 1878 - the starting point of the institution's long presence in the state's corrections history, well before it became the modern state prison families recognize today.

More than a decade passed before the site began carrying out its original purpose as a reformatory. In 1889, the Industrial Reformatory at Huntingdon received its first inmates. That moment marked the shift from an authorized institution on paper to a functioning facility responsible for people in custody.

A major turning point came in 1960. That year, SCI Huntingdon became a maximum-security, adult male state correctional institution. The shift reflected a higher-security role within the state system and a clear focus on housing adult men under maximum-security conditions.