Reduce criminal justice system involvement
"I believe that we can improve the criminal justice system, so that we can protect victims while also ending a cycle of incarceration that has left so many people feeling trapped, helpless, and without an opportunity to return to society after they have been released."-Governor Tom Wolf
Why is this goal important?
A fair and effective criminal justice system strengthens public safety, eliminates unnecessary spending, and improves the outcomes of formerly incarcerated individuals, their families, and communities. The commonwealth strives to reduce the high cost of incarceration and victimization through crime prevention, while building a criminal justice system that supports reentrants seeking a successful return to the community.
What are we working on to reach this goal?
Governor Wolf believes that Pennsylvania must build a criminal justice
system that is equitable, fairer, and focused on rehabilitation. In his 2022-23 budget, Governor Wolf secured a $2
million investment for reentry services at the local level for women to give them the best opportunity to start fresh
and reduce recidivism. In June 2018, he signed the nation's first "Clean Slate" bill, which makes it
easier for those who have interacted with the justice system to reduce the
stigma they face when looking for employment and housing. With a focus on
reducing barriers to employment, Governor Wolf "banned the box," removing the
criminal conviction question from non-civil service job applications for
agencies under the governor's jurisdiction.
The governor has signed commonsense reform legislation eliminating
driver's license suspensions for non-driving infractions and extending the time
a convicted individual must file a post-conviction relief action. The Wolf
Administration is also asking the Board of Pardons to expedite applications for pardons
from those with low-level marijuana convictions. With the goal of streamlining
the delivery of reentry services while strengthening public safety, the Wolf
Administration also merged the community supervision and reentry functions of the Department of Corrections (DOC) and the
Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole (PBPP).
Governor Wolf continues to pursue commonsense criminal justice reform
and supports the second phase of the Justice Reinvestment initiative (JRI2) which will address the high cost of
incarceration in the commonwealth and further reduce recidivism. Governor Wolf
believes in investing in effective programs, and in coordination
with the PA Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), he has directed his
administration to increase the use of evidence-based programs (EBPs) and
increase funding for research to support at-risk populations.
How are we doing?
State Prison Population
Under the Wolf Administration, the number of inmates in the state prison system has declined for four consecutive years. The chart below tracks the Department of Corrections (DOC) population by month since June 2015.
Related Measures
Recidivism
Reducing recidivism decreases criminal justice system involvement. Recidivism refers to the first instance of any type of re-arrest or reincarceration after an individual is released from Department of Corrections (DOC) custody. The graphic displayed tracks recidivism using three separate rates. The rates measure the percentage of individuals from a release cohort who are either arrested by the police or returned to DOC custody within six months, one year, and three years of their release from DOC custody.
Related Content
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