This construction and expansion program was launched in 1990 to address the prison overcrowding problem, to create jobs and stimulate economic growth.

SCI Coal Township was one of five institutions constructed and financed through county or municipal authorities and one of five prototypical state prisons dedicated in 1993.

The Northumberland County Authority was responsible to oversee the construction financing and to develop the lease with the option to buy for the Department of Corrections.

According to a study by the United States Department of Justice released in August 2010, 3.9% of inmates who responded to a survey reported that they had been sexually victimized at the prison.

The Vocational Opportunities provided to inmates at SCI Coal Township include Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC), Barber, Computer-Aided Drafting/Design (CADD), Automotive, Custodial Maintenance NCCER, OSHA 10, Flaggers course.