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MAY 22, 2012 | Commentary by MATTHEW BROUILLETTE, GEORGE LEADER
Commonsense Can Correct Corrections
Kyle, a convicted burglar sentenced to 1-3 years in Pennsylvania state prison, was granted parole in June 2011, but spent an extra 100 days in jail, not because he failed to serve time for his crime, but because he couldn't pay an administrative fine. According to the Department of Corrections, his due was $13.70.
MAY 14, 2012 | Feature by COMMONWEALTH FOUNDATION
Real Corrections Reform, Right Now
A 21st Century Vision for Pennsylvania Corrections
Albert Einstein is said to have remarked that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. We the undersigned submit that unfortunately, that same definition could be applied to Pennsylvania's current criminal justice policies. What we have been doing is locking more and more people up for lon
FEBRUARY 14, 2012 | Policy Points by COMMONWEALTH FOUNDATION
Pennsylvania Corrections Spending
The FY 2011-12 total operating budget of $63.4 billion, which included $27.1 billion in General Fund spending, represented the first year-to-year reduction in state spending in at least 40 years. However, as the economy continues to struggle out of a recession and with increasing costs in public welfare, corrections, pensions, and debt, the FY 2
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MAY 23, 2012
Gov. Corbett Is Right: Real Corrections Reform, Right Now
We here at CF are proud to be part, along with Gov. George M. Leader, his family, and many others, of a transpartisan coalition favoring "real corrections reform, right now." That is why this morning, I attended the release of the recommendations of the Justice Reinvestment Initiative working group.
At the meeting, Gov. Corbett made clear that he supports the report, wants to see its recommendations made into legislation, and wants that legislation on his desk by June 30. The JRI recommendations reflect the principles upon which our coalition has agreed and I couldn't agree more with Gov. Corbett's sense of urgency.
I also received the following comment this afternoon from Gov. Leader:
The release of the JRI report, with the support of stakeholders across our criminal justice system, demonstrates the importance of "real corrections reform, right now." In the business world, where I've been since my governorship, when we have problems, we get good information and use it quickly to solve them. My family and I hope the General Assembly will do the same here, and we applaud Gov. Corbett and Secretary Wetzel for their leadership.
posted by MATTHEW BROUILLETTE | 03:12 PM | 0 comment
MAY 22, 2012
Corrections Coalition, Dynamic Duo Dandy Says Patriot
Hats off to the Patriot-News Editorial Board for calling for an end to the status quo approach to criminal justice that has failed Pennsylvanians.
Today's editorial highlights the dynamic father-daughter duo of former Gov. George Leader, Pennsylvania's 38th Governor, and his daughter, Jane Janeczek. These two crossed party lines to form a coalition to restore commonsense to Pennsylvania's criminal justice system.
The Patriot-News had this to say about the coalition:
When groups as diverse as the conservative-leaning Commonwealth Foundation and the liberal-leaning American Civil Liberties Union are standing together calling for action, lawmakers would have to be deaf not to hear.
The Commonwealth Foundation is pleased to be a part of this important and timely group. Over the last 30 years, the state's prison population grew by 500 percent, drastically outpacing violent crime rates. As the prison population exploded, the state needed more prisons, staff and tax dollars. State corrections spending is now the third-largest department in the General Fund Budget.
The Patriot-News sums the problem up:
The "lock 'em up and throw away the key" mentality has not produced safer communities. Certainly the most egregious offenders will need to spend their life behind bars, but the vast majority - 90 percent - of offenders spend time behind bars and then re-enter society.
Our corrections system is not preparing people adequately for what happens after they are released. Human services, police, religious and other community groups are rightly asking: Can't we do better?
As this editorial board understands, the answer is yes. Other states such as Texas and New York have been able to significantly reduce both their crime rate and imprisonment rate, saving tax dollars while improving public safety.
Another promising group working to correct the state's corrections system is the Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI), a working group commissioned by Gov. Tom Corbett. JRI will release its formal recommendations tomorrow, stay tuned to learn how these reforms can provide meaningful changes.
For more, visit CommonwealthFoundation.org/Justice
posted by KATRINA CURRIE | 04:45 PM | 0 comment
MAY 8, 2012
Correcting Corrections Correctly
A look at Senate Bill 100
Over the last 30 years, Pennsylvania's incarceration rate has increased by 500 percent and corrections spending has skyrocketed 1,700 percent. The unprecedented prison population growth at unsustainable costs was caused by a breakdown in our criminal justice system, not an increase in crime or statewide population growth.
Evidence-based policy reforms should embrace the following three principles:
- Keep Low-Risk Cases Out of Prisons. Research indicates that while imprisonment keeps offenders from committing crimes while in prison, it does not deter crimes after release, and may even make low-risk offenders more likely to commit future crimes.
- Reduce Recidivism. Inmates must be rehabilitated by addressing behavioral and substance abuse issues. Nearly 45 percent of Pennsylvania offenders return to prison after three years. A significant factor is technical parole or probation violations such as breaking curfew, not new crimes.
- Fund Results, Not Just Punishments. Criminal justice reforms should protect citizens, lower crime rates, and control spending.
Senate Bill 100
This legislation primarily addresses how the state correctional system handles nonviolent offenders with drug and alcohol addictions.
- Risk Assessments Guidelines. An up-front risk assessments tool is added into the state's sentencing guidelines.
- This will sort out high risk cases that should be in state prison from lower risk cases that may be better managed in less expensive alternative programs.
- Alternative Program Eligibility. As an alternative to traditional prison, offenders may be sentenced to one of the state's alternative sentencing programs, designed for nonviolent criminals, often dealing with substance abuse. SB 100 makes the following changes:
- Allows eligible offender to be sentenced to a state-level alternative program even if a mandatory minimum sentence applies. Currently, minimum sentences disqualify many otherwise eligible offenders.
- The age criteria for an inmate to be sentenced to Quehanna Motivational Boot Camp increased from age 35 to 40. Modeled after military boot camp, it delivers a rigorous, regimented schedule. Successful program completion earns inmates a reduced sentence.
- Offenders with low-quantity drug trafficking offenses may be sentenced to County Intermediate Punishment. Offenders serve their sentence and receive appropriate treatment at the county level instead of state prison.
- County "HOPE" Courts. Counties can establish an innovative probation program that provides swift, predictable sanctions on probation violators. Modeled after Hawaii's Opportunity Probation with Enforcement (HOPE) program to incentivize probationers to stay drug and alcohol free.
- In a HOPE program, drug offenders must call every morning to see if they must report to court for a drug test. Failure can result in immediate jail time. As a result, positive drug tests have dropped more than 70 percent and new arrests cut in half, saving an estimated $4,000 to $8,000 per offender.
- Counts Jail Time towards Prerelease Center Eligibility. One of the time-eligibility requirements an inmate must satisfy before entering a prerelease center is serving at least nine months of their sentence in prison. Under this law, time served in county jails and would count towards this minimum. Violent and sex offenders are ineligible.
- Prerelease programs provide low-risk offenders opportunities for reintegration into communities through work, education and vocational training release as well as community centers for specialized additional treatment and guidance and counseling.
- State corrections facilities receive a significant number of offenders with short sentences that would be better served in community centers than state prisons.
Recommendation for Improvement
- SB 100 makes small expansions in eligibility criteria for the state's successful alternative sentencing programs. This should be extensively expanded, particularly allowing more inmates convicted of substance abuse.
- At a minimum, the list of offenses ineligible for alternative sentencing should not be expanded.
- A sentencing judge should be able to order an offender to participate in an alternative sentencing program without approval by the prosecutor.
- There should be incentives for counties to establish a "HOPE" court style program or require counties to participate.
posted by KATRINA CURRIE | 09:50 AM | 0 comment
