KITCHEN PRISON REFORM BILL RECOGNIZED IN MID-YEAR BUDGET BRIEFING

            HARRISBURG, December 28: Pennsylvania’s mid-year budget briefing includes a recommendation to support state Sen. Shirley Kitchen’s legislation to reduce recidivism in our state prisons.

            Kitchen’s legislation (Senate Bill 1045) would provide non-violent offenders with incentives to complete programs that reduce the possibility that they will commit another crime.

These incentives include a risk reduction incentive off of a qualifying non-violent offender’s minimum sentence and a rebuttable presumption that a qualifying non-violent offender would be paroled at the end of his or her minimum sentence.

 “We cannot simply punish offenders and hope they learn their lesson behind bars,” Kitchen said. “We need to lend them support so that they can become better citizens once they leave prison.

“I’m pleased that my legislation has received recognition as an answer to Pennsylvania’s increasing budget costs, and I will continue to advocate prison reform as a viable, long-term solution,” she said.  

During the recent mid-year budget briefing, Office of the Budget Secretary Michael Masch forecasted that the number of offenders in state correctional institutes will increase to more than 53,000 by 2011 — a 20 percent increase from the current 46,000 prison population — if current trends continue.

            While the 2007-08 budget includes increased investments in safety, security and programs to reduce recidivism, Masch mentioned several bills that would reduce the prison population, thereby saving taxpayer dollars, while improving citizens’ safety.