Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has the ninth largest state correctional system in the country, with nearly 43,000 inmates. In 2005, 15,500 inmates were released to communities across the state after having served an average sentence of 3.3 years. Of those inmates released in 2001, 47% returned to prison at least once within a three year period.

The Governor's Reentry Task Force, which is composed of state agencies with key roles in prisoner reentry, is working to implement the best practices identified in the Council of State Government's Reentry Policy Council Report.

Pennsylvania has identified several challenges in the State's reentry efforts that they plan to address during the Academy. These challenges include:

• Improving integration between various state agencies involved in the reentry process;
• Drafting a strategy for prioritizing treatment resources in order to reduce waiting lists;
• Maximizing continuity of treatment, care, and services for released offenders in the community;
• Learning from other states how to integrate faith-based organizations into the reentry process;
• Examining systems available to facilitate sharing of relevant offender information;
• Harnessing the resources found in the law enforcement community to better integrate offenders into the community; and
• Identifying and addressing the causes of absconding from community corrections centers.