Public Safety in Pennsylvania
Spurred by a 40 percent return-to-prison rate that was driving up the size and cost of Pennsylvania's corrections system, state leaders unanimously enacted a set of comprehensive sentencing and corrections reforms in 2012 designed to break the cycle of recidivism and make communities safer.
We need to be as smart as we are tough on crime. If we confront the problems of drug abuse and mental health issues early, if we employ specialized treatment courts and programs, we can save both revenue and lives.Governor Tom Corbett
The new laws are expected to save the state approximately $253 million over the next five years by slowing prison growth through a variety of measures: reducing costly inefficiencies in the parole process; increasing the accountability of community corrections facilities; imposing swift and certain sanctions for probation violations; and requiring low level non-violent misdemeanor offenders be sentenced to prison alternatives.
Passed as two separate bills in July and October, the reform package requires reinvestment of large share of the prison savings into crime victim services, innovative policing, improvements in county probation systems, and other public safety strategies. It also reimburses counties a portion of the costs for retaining lower-level felony offenders instead of sending them to state facilities.
Spotlight on Mental Health
MORE FROM PEW
Explore Pew’s new and improved
Fiscal 50 interactive
Your state's stats are more accessible than ever with our new and improved Fiscal 50 interactive:
- Maps, trends, and customizable charts
- 50-state rankings
- Analysis of what it all means
- Shareable graphics and downloadable data
- Proven fiscal policy strategies
Welcome to the new Fiscal 50
Key changes include:
- State pages that help you keep track of trends in your home state and provide national and regional context.
- Interactive indicator pages with highly customizable and shareable data visualizations.
- A Budget Threads feature that offers Pew’s read on the latest state fiscal news.