SCI Chester is the 24th state correctional institution to open in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and is unique in its architectural structure and programmatic design.

The treatment program at SCI Chester is a collaborative effort between the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections and Gaudenzia, Inc.

These programs include: The "Little Scandinavia" prison project is an ongoing research project being conducted in SCI Chester by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (PADOC), the Norwegian Correctional Service, the Swedish Prison and Probation Service, Drexel University and the University of Oslo.

The inmates in the Little Scandinavia department have individual prison cells, are allowed to cook their own food with ingredients they order, and wear clothes with more comforting colors, among other things.

SCI Chester began reconstructing unit Charlie Alpha in the fall of 2019 to incorporate some of the concepts the DOC officials were presented with during their trip to Scandinavia.