Promoting Fairer and more Uniform Sentencing Practice
The Commission announces the following meetings:
Thursday, June 8, 2023 – 9:00 a.m. – Policy Meeting
Thursday, June 8, 2023 – 11:00 a.m. – Quarterly Business Meeting
Location: 523 Irvis Building, Capitol Complex, Harrisburg, PA
and via Zoom webinar.
To participate via Zoom Webinar or to make a public comment during the Quarterly Business Meeting, please pre-register here.
These meetings will also be live streamed. To view, click here.
Materials can be viewed here.
The Commission is an agency of the General Assembly affiliated with The Pennsylvania State University and is seeking applications for:
Executive Director: The Executive Director is the Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, and in collaboration with two Deputy Directors, leads and manages the Commission consistent with the Commission’s enabling legislation and directives approved by the Commission. The Executive Director leads the Commission’s policy and legislative activities; is the primary point of contact with the leadership of the General Assembly, the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts, the Governor’s Office, and other departments, agencies, and organizations, and with the media; builds strategic partnerships to advance Commission goals; directs a $3 million operating budget, including the preparation of an annual appropriation request and other funding requests; and engages with administrative units of the University to negotiate agreements, review procedures, and ensure compliance with relevant policies.
Communication Specialist: The Communication Specialist is responsible for collaborating with Commission members and staff to develop and implement the Commission’s Communications Plan and to prioritize tasks associated with it, such as: communicating the work of the Commission through various media; maintaining the Commission’s website content and social media platforms; engaging with criminal justice practitioners and the public to communicate policies, procedures, and activities with internal and external stakeholders; building and sustaining professional relationships with criminal justice partners and media outlets; and to assisting in planning educational seminars and developing outreach materials, including those used during Commission meetings and public hearings.
Act 81 of 2008 required the Commission to adopt parole guidelines to be considered by the Pennsylvania Parole Board or any other paroling authority. The Commission adopted the state parole guidelines in June 2022 and submitted the guidelines to the General Assembly on October 1, 2022, through publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. The State Parole Guidelines apply to all persons sentenced to a state correctional institution and who are being considered for parole on or after January 1, 2023. To review the adopted guidelines click here