PA Probation and Parole Board Selected as Model to Help Other States Improve Practices

HARRISBURG, Pa., Sept. 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania is one of four states that will serve as a national model for improving parolee release and supervision practices, Board of Probation and Parole Chairman Catherine C. McVey said today.

Pennsylvania has been designated as a "Learning Site" by the National Parole Resource Center, which noted the state's progressive work in enhancing parolee release and supervision. This designation, awarded through a competitive national selection process, will help the state implement additional reforms it has designed. It also paves the way for Pennsylvania's best practices to be shared and put into effect in other states.

"Participating as a 'Learning Site' will enable the board to implement fully the policies and practices it has been developing over the past seven years to improve the way we function," McVey said. "Fully developing and implementing these evidence-based practices would help the board reach its goal of enhancing public safety by increasing successful parole outcomes, continuing to reduce technical and convicted parole violators, reduce recidivism and provide a model for other states."

The National Parole Resource Center is a federally funded initiative of the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance, operating in partnership with the Center for Effective Public Policy, the Association of Paroling Authorities International, and the Urban Institute. The center's goal is to recognize the growing importance of parole in assuring community safety, appropriate responses for victims, and responsible use of public resources to shape the future of parole.

The Learning Site initiative's goal is to provide intensive on-site and off-site technical assistance, hold regional workshops with presentations by experts, develop resource materials and share initiatives of other states.

As a Learning Site, the NPRC will help the state move toward "10 Practice Targets for Effective Parole Decision Making" and "13 Strategies for Successful Supervision," many of which the Probation and Parole Board has initiated, but not yet completed.

"The NPRC is pleased that Pennsylvania has been chosen for this project because of its commitment to enhancing their practices," said Peggy Burke, project director, and principal, Center for Effective Public Policy. "Pennsylvania is recognized as a national leader in parole and has done much to advance its system for best results."

The NPRC held its first meeting with the board on Wednesday, Sept. 15, and will continue to work with the agency through March 2011.

The other states selected as learning sites were Connecticut, Georgia and South Dakota. To learn more about the NPRC and the Learning Sites project, visit www.nationalparoleresourcecenter.org.

To learn more about how Pennsylvania has implemented proven best practices and sound research principles, visit www.pbpp.state.pa.us.

Media contact: Sherry Tate, 717-787-6208

SOURCE Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole