It could be the most ambitious proposal of the Corbett administration: pass prison reform in the next three weeks, says the Harrisburg Patriot-News.
The governor's Justice Reinvestment Working Group adopted recommendations yesterday that could save the state more than $263 million in the next five years. That would be a dramatic U-turn in savings from one of the fastest-growing state budget expenses of the past decade.
Gov. Tom Corbett congratulated the group for coming up with recommendations that focus on rehabilitation, efficiencies in the system and reinvesting money in public safety. The proposals would send millions to counties for improved policing and probation at the local level, and offer millions more to counties that reduce the number of people they send to prison with less than one year to serve. “Pre-release” policies would be abolished, half-way houses would be limited to parolees only and state agencies would have to become more efficient. Corbett called on the Legislature to pass the reforms “by the end of June.” Legislative leaders plan to leave for summer recess by June 13.