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| Prison reform bill awaits Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett's signature |
| By pennlive.com - JAN MURPHY, The Patriot-News |
| Published: 06/27/2012 |
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Sweeping reform of the state’s prison system requires just one more step. Gov. Tom Corbett simply needs to sign his name. Legislation to reduce state prison populations — and the soaring costs of state prisons — is on Corbett’s desk. The state Senate approved the bill Monday night; the state House of Representatives approved it earlier this month. Corbett is expected to sign it into law, but the date for that signing has not been set, spokeswoman Janet Kelley. Under the bill, less serious offenders would be diverted from state prisons to such places as county prisons, treatment programs and house arrest. “It will definitely reduce prison populations,” said Susan McNaughton, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Corrections. “But the benefit of that is it’s going to really get treatment to the people that need it sooner rather than later, and the treatment is really what will help them change their criminal ways so they don’t become criminals that have to come to the state prison system,” McNaughton said. The bill includes many of the recommendations adopted by Corbett’s justice reinvestment panel last month. Rep. Glen Grell, R-Hampden Twp., said the quick passage and wholehearted legislative buy-in on the task force’s recommendations is significant. It demonstrates lawmakers’ recognition of the need to take a different approach to criminal justice to improve offenders’ chances for rehabilitation. “It will allow the Department of Corrections to act a lot more intelligently in the way they deal with prisoners rather than warehousing them,” Grell said. In a speech on the Senate floor on Monday, Sen. Stewart Greenleaf, R-Montgomery County, admitted that his advocacy in the past for getting tough on crime by increasing sentences didn’t reduce crime. It had the opposite effect. Violent crime rates soared. Prison populations soared. And 44 percent of those released from prison wound up back behind bars within three years. “That was a failed criminal-justice policy,” Greenleaf said. Read More. |
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Dear folks who care about prison reform, We all know that we have seen a heightened state of PA State troopers on our roadways stopping innocent people, for all kinds of checks! Remember, our PA State trooper's are incensed because they are told you need to meet the gov't's quota of arrests and by arresting people, they make more money for the State of Pennyslvania. So, now we have a Governor Corbett, who is sitting on this Prison Reform bill, not because he wants to sign their profits aways on the heels of the poor defenseless working class, but because he is used to getting his way, regardless of who he hurts! He doesn't want to see our society and innocent and addicted people rehabilitated and helped, so that they don't return to jail, but rather, I believe he wants to behave like a dictator and reap more gold from the Energy Companies and our mal-functioning Prison System! Gov. Corbett believes he has all this invisible evil power, whereby, he can get the evil doer's (Corporate Powers), to continue to donate millions of dollars in his future political campaign for re-election! That is all he cares about and he has proven those actions time and time again! He is heartless, and the "Kingdom of Heaven" will not be there for Governor Corbett to enter, unless he releases those who are unrighteously being persecuted! We all wonder now after weeks of watching the Jerry Sandusky trial, "What did this Governor really know about the child raping actions of recently convicted child molester Jerry Sandusky? I'm beginning to wonder,"What did he really know and when did he know the real facts about these child molestation crimes?" And if he was aware of these crimes being committed by former Assistant Penn State Coach, Jerry Sandusky, why didn't he try to stop this man from hurting his own and all these foster children? That speaks volumes about the character of our sitting Governor Tom Corbett! The righteous people of our beautiful State of Pennsylvania are watching you and waiting for a response, "Governor Tom Corbett!". May God save your soul!