Community supervision via parole is a valuable tool for allowing incarcerated individuals to demonstrate their rehabilitation and commitment to reintegration. As such, it is our duty to take a close look at parole in Pennsylvania and ensure this tool is being used properly and effectively. That is why I plan on introducing a resolution that would direct the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a comprehensive study of current parole procedures, outcomes, data, and trends, and to formulate recommendations for reform from those observations.
 
According to the May 2026 population report from the Department of Corrections, there are approximately 39,000 individuals incarcerated in state prisons. This is a staggering number, one that, combined with the total number of individuals in jails and juvenile justice facilities, translates to an incarceration rate of 589 per 100,000 people, one of the highest in the developed world. Of that 39,000, approximately one-quarter are over the age of 50, many of whom have spent most of their adult life in prison. Thousands of others are classified having a low risk of engaging in future criminal activity.
 
Parole gives incarcerated individuals something to work toward and strive for with the understanding that they can one day be productive members of the communities they left. Such a powerful motivator should not be taken lightly.
 
I hope you will join me in commissioning an honest and meticulous evaluation of such an important mechanism in our justice system.