Jerry Sandusky transferred from county jail to state prison to serve 30-year minimum sentence

CAMP HILL, Pa. – Jerry Sandusky became a state prison inmate Tuesday with his transfer out of the Centre County jail, his home since he was convicted in June of child molestation.

The 68-year-old former Penn State assistant coach arrived early in the morning at the State Correctional Institute at Camp Hill, just outside Harrisburg, a state prison system spokeswoman said.

He faces testing and evaluation that will take a week or more before he can be assigned a security risk level and sent to one of the state facilities as his “home” prison. At Camp Hill, experts will assess his mental state, physical health and education level, and determine whether he needs treatment.

“I have some concerns about his medical needs and we’re going to be taking a careful look at that to make sure they’re being addressed,” said his lawyer, Karl Rominger. Specifically, he said, Sandusky has sleep apnea and uses a so-called CPAP machine.

Sandusky was sentenced this month to 30 to 60 years for sexual abuse of 10 boys over a 15-year period. He has repeatedly asserted his innocence and last week filed post-sentencing motions, seeking to have convictions thrown out or a new trial.

Rominger said he was waiting to see how state prosecutors respond to the defence motions and how Judge John Cleland rules on them. If the judge rules against Sandusky, the defence will then have a month in which to appeal to Superior Court.

There are about 6,800 sex offenders serving time in Pennsylvania’s prison system. The Corrections Department does not maintain special units for sex offenders, and there is no way to predict where he will be sent.

Also Tuesday, a book by Aaron Fisher that recounts his abuse by Sandusky was published. “Silent No More” describes how Fisher’s claims first came to light at his school district a half-hour northeast of State College, triggering the investigation that produced charges nearly a year ago.