PRINTER'S NO. 2746
No. 323 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY MARSICO AND RAYMOND, DECEMBER 7, 1999
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, DECEMBER 7, 1999
A RESOLUTION
1 Amending House Resolution No. 251, adopted November 15, 1999,
2 entitled "A resolution calling for a cost and services study
3 of the county adult probation system by the Legislative
4 Budget and Finance Committee," by extending the due date of
5 the report.
6 RESOLVED, That House Resolution No. 251, adopted November 15,
7 1999, be amended to read:
8 A RESOLUTION
9 Calling for a cost and services study of the county adult
10 probation system by the Legislative Budget and Finance
11 Committee.
12 WHEREAS, County adult probation departments fill a critical
13 need in this Commonwealth's criminal justice system; and
14 WHEREAS, The average Statewide caseload for each county adult
15 probation officer is 160 active files, with significant
16 increases in the numbers of felony offenders and convicted sex
17 offenders under their supervision; and
18 WHEREAS, County adult probation and parole agencies provide
19 over 1,000 services and programs to the county court and
1 corrections system, ranging from investigative services to
2 supervisory functions; and
3 WHEREAS, Since 1991, county adult probation has responded to
4 the number and type of offenders placed under supervision by
5 increasing specialized offender programs such as sex offender
6 and mental health/mental retardation programs, electronic
7 monitoring and intensive supervision; and
8 WHEREAS, The Improvement of Probation Services Act of 1965
9 requires an 80% reimbursement for the salaries of county adult
10 probation officers complying with State requirements; and
11 WHEREAS, Two hundred sixty-eight adult probation officers
12 have been hired since 1991 to meet the increased demands of the
13 system, but these qualified probation officers are not included
14 under the current funding formula because the grant-in-aid
15 eligible positions have been capped by administrative order; and
16 WHEREAS, More than 95% of all county probation officers have,
17 at minimum, a bachelor's degree, but the average starting salary
18 remains far below that of the Pennsylvania State Police and
19 State parole agents; therefore be it
20 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives call for the
21 Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to study the county
22 adult probation system and specifically the grant-in-aid
23 formula, county costs and supervision fees to determine the
24 impact on the quality and level of program services offered
25 through the county adult probation system; and be it further
26 RESOLVED, That the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee
27 report its findings to the House of Representatives by [January
28 30, 2000] October 31, 2000.
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