FY 21 Pennsylvania Partnership for Justice Improvement

In order to achieve substantial reductions in recidivism and violent crime which are specifically aligned with the intent of FY 21 Smart Probation Funds, PCCD, the County Chief Adult Probation and Parole Officers Association of Pennsylvania, and the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP) have proposed a comprehensive plan for PPCJI expansion with clearly defined goals, objectives, and activities that target the reduction of recidivism and incarceration for those under supervision. The primary goals are: Goal 1- Reduce recidivism among moderate and high-risk offenders by 15%; and Goal 2 - Reduce the number of violent offenses by high-risk offenders while under supervision by 15%.  A total of 23 county sites (3 Demonstration and 20 Learning) will be participating in this project that includes a comprehensive plan for Evidence Based Practices (EBP) expansion, training, support, and robust recidivism analysis. The associated objectives and activities include a comprehensive EBP implementation and sustainable design supported by collaborative coordination and specialized training and technical assistance providers. A sample of the primary objectives include: the use of validated, actuarial risk/need instruments; the development of a plan to align with medium/high risk workloads with American Probation and Parole Association/EBP guidelines; the development of a best practices rewards and sanctions monograph supported by technical assistance that summarizes research and provides model policy examples; and the development of a guide supported by training to help probation agencies conduct a community programming gap analysis.