Prison sentencing reform bill approved by committee

Pennsylvania House of Representatives

139 Main Capitol Building, Harrisburg

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Prison sentencing reform bill approved by committee

HARRISBURG, Dec. 4 – The House Judiciary Committee today gave unanimous support to a bill sponsored by Speaker Dennis O’Brien which would make sure that criminals who commit serious crimes serve their sentences in state prisons rather than county prisons.

The O’Brien measure (H.B. 4) is one of four bills the committee approved to help reduce criminal recidivism and save money in future Department of Corrections budgets.

“We need a criminal justice system that places long-term prisoners in state facilities and encourages non-violent offenders to participate in treatment and job training programs that are proven to be effective,” O’Brien said.

“This would also help counties to manage their limited resources to focus on pre-trial detention and short-term sentenced offenders.”

Under O’Brien’s bill, any person sentenced to between two and five years would serve the time in a state prison unless the county prison has space and both the judge and district attorney agree to placement in the county.

Current law requires prisoners serving more than five years to be assigned to state prison but allows judges to put prisoners in the two-to-five-year range in a county prison. The cost of housing these long-term inmates contributes to skyrocketing county correctional costs.

It is estimated this change would shift almost 2,000 prisoners statewide from county to state prisons, including at least 700 in Philadelphia alone.

The bill also includes a recidivist risk reduction initiative to encourage non-violent offenders to participate in job training, drug and alcohol treatment, literacy and other programs while in prison in return for partial sentence reductions.

This option would only be open to non-violent offenders and would have to be outlined as an option when the judge imposes a sentence. Offenders who fail to complete the programs would not qualify for any sentence reduction.

“This is an important way to increase public safety by encouraging prisoners to take steps toward their own rehabilitation while they are in prison so that they have greater chances to succeed in life after they are released back into society,” O’Brien said.

Corrections Secretary Jeffrey Beard attended the meeting and expressed support for the bills being considered.

O’Brien is working closely with the sponsors of the other bills approved today by the committee to advance them as a package.

Rep. Ron Marsico, R-Dauphin, is sponsoring House Bill 5 which would make the Department of Corrections responsible for a statewide system of transporting prisoners to hearings. Currently this is done by sheriffs and deputies from the 67 counties. The bill also would encourage expanded use of videoconference technology to reduce the need for prisoner transport.

Rep. Kathy Manderino, D-Phila., is sponsoring House Bill 6 which would require the state Sentencing Commission to establish guidelines for probation and parole. Pennsylvania currently has no such guidelines. This would help reduce prison overcrowding and better equip prisoners to return to society.

Rep. Tom Caltagirone, D-Berks, is sponsoring House Bill 7 which would permit the compassionate transfer of terminally ill prisoners to hospice care provided there is no risk to public safety and so long as the Department of Corrections gives its approval.

“These reforms, taken together, will improve our prisons and help protect society by doing a better job of rehabilitating prisoners while they are incarcerated,” O’Brien said.

In a separate meeting with state senators today, Secretary Beard noted that the state of New York took similar steps 10 years ago and has stabilized its prison population, whereas Pennsylvania is facing the need to add new prisons at great taxpayer expense.

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