The Plummer Community Corrections Center is set to close March 2026. But some state lawmakers want Gov. Matt Meyer to walk back that decision.
A group of lawmakers met with Gov. Meyer and Department of Correction officials Wednesday morning to discuss Plummer’s closure.
Meyer stood by the previous administration’s decision to close Plummer’s doors.
State Sen. Ray Seigfried said this decision was made for financial reasons alone and should be reconsidered.
“I think what's missing here in the decision to try to move this center is the service, the program, the individuals that are being affected by this…” Seigfried said. “This is an extremely important benefit to people that are transitioning out of jail and into society.”
Senate conversations started taking place after community members raised concerns about the turn of events. Wilmington City Councilmember Shané Darby called for Meyer to reverse the decision to close Plummer last week.
Darby said the best path forward for Wilmington is to keep this resource in town.
“I think culture is big, right, and Sussex County is a lot more racist, more outwardly racist…” Darby said last week. “And I think in Wilmington – it's better here. It might not be perfect, but it's definitely better.”
A 2025 study finds work release programs like Plummer’s lower the probability of rearrest by more than 15% and lower the probability of reincarceration by about 37%.
Seigfried said he’s against moving Plummer residents downstate.
“I don't understand how you can take people living in the city of Wilmington two hours south, pop them into a classroom down there and then expect them to work up here with the two hour drive,” Seigfried said. “I mean, even if the state does provide transportation, that doesn't make any sense to me. It just doesn't.”
Work release programs like the one Plummer offers have positive results, but it’s also important to keep incarcerated people close to home and loved ones, Seigfried said.
Greater distance from family leads incarcerated people to be more likely to reenter the prison system, according to a 2025 study from the University of Chicago.
Meyer’s office did not offer a comment on Seigfried’s concerns.
Seigfried said he will work with lawmakers and DOC officials to find a way to address the issue. If that option isn’t in Plummer’s current location, Siegfried said he wants to find a new location and will talk to colleagues about intervening using the Fiscal Year 27 budget.
