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November 18, 2019 - Harrisburg, PA

Gov. Wolf, National Advocates Push for a Fairer Probation System

Governor Tom Wolf was joined by Deputy Secretary of Corrections Christian Stephens and national criminal justice reform advocates today in the Capitol Rotunda to push for commonsense probation reforms that address probation sentences and probation lengths.

"Despite recent progress, Pennsylvania's criminal justice system is still failing in some areas," Gov. Wolf said. "Probation should assist Pennsylvanians with creating stability in their lives and instead, our excessively long sentences and cumbersome rules are causing Pennsylvanians to lose their jobs, employers are losing much-needed workers, families are losing support systems, and taxpayer money is being wasted on a system that is not improving lives or recidivism rates."

According to the Department of Corrections, one in 35 adults in Pennsylvania is under some form of post-incarceration supervision and that number has increased while the state's crime rate has decreased. Pennsylvania is one of just eight states where probation can last up to the maximum sentence of an offense.

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