The Plummer Community Corrections Center in Wilmington, parts of which date back 125 years, is set to shut its doors by next March.
Delaware Department of Correction Deputy Commissioner Shane Troxler says that demand for lower-level facilities like Plummer has declined in recent years for a variety of reasons.
“We’ve got over 1000 beds that are empty, which is a good thing," he said. "It means our efforts to reduce recidivism, to ensure we're making re-entry efforts, are working.”
Troxler notes the people currently housed at Plummer will be relocated to other DOC facilities, likely sites in Georgetown and Smyrna. Similarly, employees will be reassigned to other facilities as well.
“No one's losing their job. We have vacancies statewide. We have needs statewide," Troxler said. "We're working with our unions and our employees to identify new assignments for those officers that are assigned to the Plummer Center.”
That should ease staffing concerns at those sites, adds Troxler.
“We have made leaps and bounds on recruitment and retention of officers. We're doing really well, but we still have needs and we still pay overtime," he said. "And in some instances, we have overtime that we can't fill and we have to mandate officers to work.”
Maintenance costs for the aging facility have risen to an unsustainable level. DOC officials estimate that keeping the site open would cost nearly $4 million over the next two years. The site is also not compliant with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
