Posted: | January 9, 2014 09:53 AM |
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From: | Representative Glen R. Grell |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | County Adult Porbation/LB&FC report |
As we all know, county adult probation departments fill a critical need in this Commonwealth’s criminal justice system. According to a statistical report prepared by the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole in 2012, county probation departments supervise 86% percent of those offenders placed on probation in the Commonwealth. Also, according to the report, the average case load for a county adult probation officer is 148 offenders. Because the work of these departments is so important, the General Assembly established a grant-in-aid program in 1965. Since fiscal year 1966-1967, this program has provided financial support to the 65 counties with adult probation departments. The objectives of the grant-in-aid program are to maintain, improve, and expand county adult probation and parole personnel and program services, provide protection to the public through effective community correctional services; and provide training to county adult probation and parole personnel. In 2000, the House of Representatives adopted House Resolution 251 in order to have the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee prepare a report about the costs and services in Pennsylvania’s county adult probation system, as well as the grant-in-aid program. Given that 14 years have passed since this study was released by the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee, I believe it is time to ask the committee to conduct a further study about the costs and services of the adult county probation system, as well as the workings of the grant-in-aid program. Your support and cosponsorship is appreciated. Please contact my office at 783-2063 if you have any questions. |
Introduced as HR619