Fix Pennsylvania’s Broken Probation System
Pennsylvania has the one of the highest number of people on probation in the U.S. The biggest problem with having so many people on probation is that it spreads the Commonwealth’s probation officers too thin. People who need close monitoring to keep communities safe can’t get it because probation officers have so many low-level, non-violent offenders to oversee. On top of that, employers are reluctant to hire people on probation because of so many rules that interfere with running a business.
The bottom line is that the current system doesn’t make Pennsylvania’s communities safer. But it does fill prisons. Almost half of those who are re-incarcerated are sent back for probation violations like being late for an appointment or crossing a county line. As a result, taxpayers spend over $330 million each year to lock up people for these so-called “technical violations.”
Legislation currently under consideration (SB 913) will make important improvements to how the Commonwealth deals with people on probation. It will create a system that holds people accountable while offering an achievable path to employment, rehabilitation, and redemption.
Stand with the American Conservative Union and CPAC to:
Make our neighborhoods safer,
Cut wasteful spending,
and reinvigorate our workforce;
by fixing Pennsylvania’s broken Probation system!
Use one of our simple form below to email your legislator and tell them it’s time to finally reform our probation system.