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KITCHEN: SENATE APPROVES PRISON REFORM
MEASURES
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Kitchen |
HARRISBURG,
September 22
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State Sen. Shirley Kitchen today praised the
recent passage of two prison reform measures
that would ease the financially overburdened
prison system and reduce recidivism in
certain non-violent offenders.
“Prison overcrowding is a major issue in our
corrections system. It’s become a physical
burden on the prisons and a financial burden
on taxpayers, and it’s only going to
continue to grow,” Kitchen said. “We must
take steps now to ease overcrowding and
reduce recidivism while providing
non-violent offenders with the skills they
need to be more productive when they return
to society.”
House Bill 7 gives the Pennsylvania
Department of Corrections, a prisoner or
anyone acting or appointed to act on the
prisoner’s behalf the right to petition a
court for the release of a seriously or
terminally ill prisoner for treatment in a
hospital, hospice or other health care
facility.
The court must consider the prisoner’s
history of violence. The bill allows a
victim and any other agency who was involved
in the original sentencing an opportunity to
voice their opposition.
“The removal of gravely ill prisoners will
ease the physical and financial burden on
our overflowing prisons while providing
these men and women with adequate care,”
said Kitchen, who introduced similar
legislation (Senate Bill 1044) last year.
The other measure (House Bill 4)
allows courts to sentence non-violent
offenders to intensive rehabilitation
programs while in prison and provide for
strict parole supervision after their
release.
“This legislation would provide non-violent
offenders with life skills that will help
them to become good citizens when they are
released from prison,” Kitchen said. “This
measure a solid step toward reducing
recidivism and it gives non-violent
offenders a second chance to improve their
lives.”
The Senate approved the measures on Sept.
17. The bills move back to the House of
Representatives for
concurrence.
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