61 Pa.C.S. § 1106: Powers of peace officers.

A chief administrator, deputy superintendent or corrections officer of a State correctional facility may exercise the powers of a peace officer in the performance of that individual's duties generally in:

(1) Guarding, protecting and delivering inmates.

(2) Protecting the property of the department.

(3) Capturing and returning inmates that may have escaped within the immediate area of a State correctional facility or mode of transport. For the purposes of this section, the immediate area of a State correctional facility or mode of transport shall encompass the curtilage up to and including one-half of one mile.