HARRISBURG — Gov. Tom Wolf announced that as of Oct. 1, the number of people incarcerated in state correctional facilities is 36,743 — the lowest total since 2001.
The population total reflects a reduction of more than 8,300 individuals since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. McKean County appeared to have 140 inmates in state prison, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections inmate locator, while Elk County appeared to have 105, Potter County, 90 and Cameron County appeared to have 19.
“My administration has taken a comprehensive approach to reducing the prison population, with an emphasis on rehabilitation for men and women who are incarcerated and opportunities after incarceration, and I’m proud of our successful efforts while ensuring public safety,” Governor Wolf said. “Most individuals who are incarcerated will be released at some point, so investing in resources and creating good policies ensures lower incarceration rates, a reduction in recidivism, and a better, more productive quality of life for re-entrants.”
“Bipartisan support from the Wolf Administration and state legislators – particularly the Justice Reinvestment Working Group — has created an environment that allows the DOC to work toward decarceration,” said Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Acting Secretary (DOC) George Little, who noted that people of color represent 70 percent of the Pennsylvania prison population reduction since 2015. “Reducing the number of incarcerated individuals allows the DOC to focus on providing much needed mental health, drug treatment, and other services to the remaining incarcerated population.”
During the pandemic, DOC staff has expedited furloughs of parolees from centers to home plans, coordinated with the parole board to maximize parole releases, reviewed parole detainers for those in county jails and state prisons, expedited the release process for reentrants with a pending approved home plan, and implemented a temporary reprieve program – all with the goal of keeping staff, incarcerated population, and the community safe.
This summer, the DOC launched an interactive dashboard that allows users to track the state prison population, the number of people under parole supervision, recidivism and other key data over the past 20 years. The dashboard also provides context to the data, highlighting racial disparities that persist within the incarcerated population.
