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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
| State Rep. Thomas Caltagirone |
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Caltagirone to serve on criminal justice reform panel
HARRISBURG, Jan. 25 – Berks County state Rep. Tom Caltagirone, Democratic chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said today he will work alongside colleagues in the executive and judicial branches of government on criminal justice reform.
"I was first approached by Gov. Corbett to serve on this panel. The panel's first meeting will be held Jan. 26 and I am honored to be participating," Caltagirone said. "This is a bipartisan, inter-branch panel that I can confidently say is ready to get to work on developing effective strategies to increase public safety."
Caltagrione added similar panels comprised of criminal justice system stakeholders are being formed across the country. The effort is known as the Justice Reinvestment Initiative.
"We will focus on developing the most cost-effective strategies to improve public safety, deter crime, reduce recidivism and hold offenders accountable," said Caltagirone. "This process will help us pinpoint which strategies based on data and other evidence-based approaches will help us achieve these goals.
"Projected prison population growth and overall corrections costs are also huge issues facing a budget-challenged Pennsylvania. We must find ways to generate savings instead of continuing to fund the problem, like helping to educate and rehabilitate those affected by incarceration."
Chairman Mark Zimmer of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency will also chair this panel.
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