Pennsylvania
Overview
From 2008 to 2013, Pennsylvania’s state prison population is projected to grow 30 percent, from 45,201 to 59,103 prisoners. If the prison population grows at the projected rate and current polices are left unchanged, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (“PDOC”) will experience a capacity shortfall of 11,041 beds by 2011. Republican and Democratic leaders in the Pennsylvania General Assembly have requested technical assistance from the Justice Center to determine why the prison population is growing. They have also asked the Justice Center to provide them with policy options, which, if implemented successfully, would increase public safety and curb spending on corrections.
Justice Center staff and expert consultants have conducted a comprehensive analysis of the prison population and have determined that the growth is driven by several factors, including jail overcrowding, high failure rates among people under community supervision, limited in-prison program capacity, and the underutilization of existing diversion programs. Justice Center staff and consultants are working with Pennsylvania policymakers to develop two justice reinvestment scenarios to address the projected growth, increase public safety, and reduce spending on corrections.