State Takes More Steps To Reduce Prison Population

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Pennsylvania is enacting legislation that’s designed to improve how it handles nonviolent offenders in a continuing effort to reduce the state’s prison population. Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, signed the two-bill package Wednesday, shortly after the Republican-controlled Senate approved the bills. The GOP-controlled House did the same a day earlier. Key provisions involve getting nonviolent offendersáonto parole faster and helping get more nonviolent offendersáinto addiction treatment programs that are shown to lower recidivism. Elements of the legislation, however, were promptedáby a spate of five parolees being arrested over the summer for homicide, most with connections to domestic violence.