The Associated Press report from earlier this year indicated Pennsylvania's tax collection revenue is nearly $500 million below projected levels. As the AP reported, Gov. Tom Corbett instituted a pay freeze for thousands of employees. To save costs the governor obtained a grant to form a committee, named the Justice Reinvestment Initiative, to study how the Keystone State could reduce spending on corrections and still improve the prison system, according to Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
While corrections is not the only state budget item target for cost savings, an article from The Patriot-News reports corrections, welfare and education account for more than 90 percent of the state budget.
Why try to improve corrections?
A few of the goals of the Justice Reinvestment Initiative are to increase public safety and reduce spending on corrections, as reported by Fox 43. However, the Patriot-News is reporting that as an alternative to flat out cutting money out of the corrections budget, the industry will attempt to operate more efficiently and reinvest saved money into other areas with the ultimate goal of reducing the amount of people heading to prison.
How much money in Pennsylvania goes toward corrections?
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported the number of people entering prison from 2000 to 2010 increased by 46 percent, but the overall budget for state corrections nearly doubled from $1.1 billion to $1.9 billion. Essential Public Radio reports that the majority of the increase in the number of people sent to prison was due to people serving short minimum sentences.
What are the responsibilities of the Justice Reinvestment Initiative?
Essential Public Radio reports that besides reducing the cost of operating correction facilities, the Justice Reinvestment Initiative panel will be tasked with improving accountability, determining where in the corrections industry to reinvest a portion of the savings, and also to reinvest some of the cash to prevent crime.
Has the program been evaluated for success?
The Tribune Review article mentions Texas is one of the success models for the program. Texas was ready to spend a half billion dollars on new prisons in 2007; however, by using a similar program that Pennsylvania is undertaking, the source of the problem was identified, as the Tribe report states. The article concludes that by reinvesting the money into the community and treatment options, the state is ready to close one of their prisons instead of building new ones.
Jason Gallagher is a longtime Pennsylvania resident. He has experiences in trends and developments in many regions from having lived in many parts of the Keystone State, and currently resides in the Pittsburgh area.
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