Title
Authorizing Council's Committee on Public Safety to investigate and hold public hearings reviewing the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole and its practices in Philadelphia, including the violation of parole conditions, the issuance of technical and direct violation warrants, the recommitment process and the effect these processes have on the safety of the citizens of Philadelphia.
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WHEREAS, The defined mission of the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole (the Board) is to protect the safety of the public, address the needs of crime victims, improve county adult probation and parole services and assist in the fair administration of justice by ensuring the custody, control, and treatment of offenders under the jurisdiction of the Board; and
WHEREAS, The Board has the legal responsibility to parole, recommit for violations of parole, and discharge from parole offenders sentenced to two years or more; and
WHEREAS, Parole is the release of an inmate from prison prior to his or her sentence's maximum date, but after the minimum sentence date, to continue serving the balance of the sentence under supervision in the community; and
WHEREAS, In Pennsylvania, Parole is a privilege, not a right; it is not automatic or guaranteed.
Parole is a conditional release that requires parolees to abide by rules that do not apply to other members of society; and
WHEREAS, Parole is premised upon the belief that the protection of society is a primary objective of conditional release. Although parole supports conditional release of offenders prior to completion of their sentence, parole also supports the use of restrictions, which are imposed as conditions, and, where necessary, termination of the release where the offender is not assessed to be abiding by the conditions of release and/or the potential for renewed criminal activity is felt to be high; and
WHEREAS, Parole violators are classified as either Criminal Parole Violat...
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