By Clara Ritger
Correspondent
Capitolwire
HARRISBURG (June 25)– The state Senate on Monday unanimously voted to send to the governor a bill to reform the state’s corrections system.
The chamber approved amendments made to Senate Bill 100 by the House of Representatives that would implement much of Gov. Tom Corbett’s Justice Reinvestment Initiative proposals.
The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Stewart Greenleaf, R-Montgomery, said being tough and smart on crime is not mutually exclusive.
“If you look at other states, they’ve adopted many of the proposals we’re adopting today,” said Greenleaf, who is the majority chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Greenleaf said SB100 means a low crime rate, lower recidivism rate, big savings and safer streets in Pennsylvania.
Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa, D-Allegheny, said the bill represented bipartisan solutions to Pennsylvania’s corrections system.
For more about the bill in its amended form, CLICK HERE to read Capitolwire Deputy Bureau Chief Chris Comisac’s story written earlier this month.
The remaining portion of the JRI – the reinvestment of some of that money – still remains to be passed by the Legislature.
SB100 is expected to yield between $250 million and $300 million in savings during the next five years. The JRI intends to reinvest $86 million of those savings in public safety efforts, during the same time frame, to further reduce criminal recidivism.
The reinvestment legislation, House Bill 135, is currently in the Senate Appropriations Committee, but it has not yet been amended with the JRI language.
Based on information provided by those involved with the corrections reform efforts, it is not certain HB135 will see action before the end of the month.
Deputy Bureau Chief Chris Comisac contributed to this story.
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