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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Thomas Caltagirone |
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House Judiciary Committee delves into prison reform
HARRISBURG, Jan. 21 – State Rep. Thomas Caltagirone, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, this week held three prison reform meetings to begin what he hopes will be frequent discussions between lawmakers and stakeholders concerning overcrowding, recidivism, safety concerns and the out-of-state transfer of 2,000 Pennsylvania inmates.
Caltagirone said in an effort to address overcrowding, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections last month entered into an agreement with the Michigan Corrections Department to transfer 1,000 prisoners to the Muskegon Correctional Facility. He said the state also plans to move an additional 1,000 prisoners to Green Rock Correctional Center in Virginia.
The state plans also to build four new prison facilities to the tune of $800 million, with an additional $50 million each needed for operating costs. The Berks County lawmaker said he believes those funds might be better used for tackling problems at the 25 correctional institutions currently operating in the Commonwealth.
"We can't just throw money at the problem," Caltagirone said. "There are so many facets to prison overcrowding. What the committee learned this week is that programs to help educate and rehabilitate the entire population of people affected by incarceration – prisoners, former prisoners and the families of prisoners, might be worth exploring. Working to minimize recidivism, which affects about half of the inmates released from our prisons, might free up some room."
During today's informational meeting, Ann Schwartzman, policy director for the Pennsylvania Prison Society, pointed to several programs currently offered at the state's prisons that seek to ease the transition of prisoners into the general public, or re-entry, through mentoring and life skills education.
From a policy standpoint, Caltagirone said the Judiciary Committee is considering legislation to address gender differences by banning the shackling of prisoners who are giving birth, mandatory minimum sentencing, and finding alternatives for juveniles given life sentences, among others. He also suggested giving judges more leniency when sentencing criminals, but also taking a closer look at how sentences are determined in the first place.
"The sentencing structure is so grossly disparate that, for example, if a person attempts rape, they receive 20 years in prison, but if they attempt rape with the use of an intoxicant on their victim, the sentence is seven years," he said. "It makes no sense."
What does make sense, he said, is examining safety concerns raised by the law enforcement working in the state's prisons, where the ratio of inmate to officer is extremely high: 50,948 inmates to 8,291 corrections officers in 2009. Earlier in the week, Don McNany, president of the Pennsylvania Correction Officers Association, provided testimony to the committee that underscored staffing shortfalls, citing riots and fights in which officers are outnumbered in dangerous situations.
Caltagirone said another concern the committee has is the number of incarcerated people who are mothers or fathers. In an effort to help children steer clear of a life of crime, some children with an incarcerated parent in Philadelphia have the opportunity to connect with kids in similar circumstances through a peer-on-peer support group held during school.
"Our prisons are busting at the seams and there is no quick fix for solving any one of these issues," Caltagirone said. "But I do believe that if we get together on a regular basis to look at the facts and figures and explore what other states are doing, we can come up with solutions."
The House Judiciary Committee has formal legislative oversight for the following executive branch functions: the Board of Pardons; Board of Probation and Parole; Department of Corrections; Municipal Police Officers Education and Training Commission; Office of General Counsel; Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency; Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing; Attorney General (except Consumer Protection Bureau); Pennsylvania State Police; and State Ethics Commission.