Justice Reinvestment in Pennsylvania: Seeking Ways to Reduce Recidivism

Limit the Term of Incarceration for Technical Violations of Conditions of Probation and Parole.

Parolees and probationers who are revoked to prison for violating conditions of their supervision spend an average of 15 months and 23 months in prison, respectively, prior to being released. This policy option allows DOC hearings officers to impose up to 30-day sanctions, or up to 90-day sanctions with department approval, for probation and parole compliance violations without resorting to a petition to the court or the parole board. This option limits imprisonment for compliance violations to ninth months once the appropriate violation responses under DOC’s incentives and interventions grid have been exhausted. This option also allows these people to be sanctioned in jails and alternative facilities, funded by the state, in lieu of prison.

Limiting the term of incarceration for people who violate conditions of their supervision but were not charged with new crimes can ensure more appropriate and effective consequences for these people. Responses that are proportional to the seriousness of the violations can improve the supervisee’s perception that responses are fair and objective, which can in turn deter future unwanted behaviors.