WirePOLITICS: Criminal record expungement bill passes state Senate

Last week, the Pennsylvania Senate unanimously passed state Sen. Stewart J. Greenleaf’s Senate Bill 166, which would allow individuals who have served a sentence for nonviolent third- and second-degree misdemeanors to petition the court for expungement of their criminal records after at least seven years without a new offense.

“A low-level misdemeanor in one’s past is often a barrier when seeking employment, long after they have completed their sentence,” Greenleaf said. “A number of states are expanding their expungement laws to reduce the period during which a minor criminal record can punish people.”

The legislation is geared to help counter high rates of recidivism, relieve an overburdened pardon system and provide more opportunities for ex-offenders to join the workforce.

SB 166 will now be referred to a committee in the House of Representatives.

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Meanwhile, Greenleaf announced that he plans to introduce legislation that would consolidate the Department of Corrections and the Board of Probation and Parole.

The combined agency will be renamed the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

The consolidation is expected to result in cost savings and increased efficiencies in the operation of state prisons and parole services.

There is already significant overlap in the operation of the two agencies, according to Greenleaf.

Currently, community corrections centers are operated and staffed by the Department of Corrections, but the residents of the centers are entirely parolees. The Board of Probation and Parole assigns institutional parole agents to work inside state prisons. The Office of Victim Advocate is staffed and funded by both agencies.

Given the overlap, Greenleaf said it makes sense to consolidate their resources while continuing to allow the Parole Board to make independent decisions regarding parole.

“I introduced this legislation to accomplish two important goals — save precious tax dollars, and continue to improve our corrections system that focuses on rehabilitation of nonviolent offenders,” he said. “With the state facing significant budget shortfalls, we are seeking similar measures to increase efficiencies across state government.”

The legislation is intended to reduce recidivism. Studies have found that expediting prisoners’ release and providing appropriate supervision decreases the likelihood they will reoffend.

Under the bill, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation will assume the supervision of parole agents and employ a broader range of tools to supervise parolees. The legislation will require that parole agents receive training in social work so that they will be better equipped to guide parolees toward a law-abiding lifestyle.