The Research and Data Analysis Unit serves as the clearinghouse and information center for the collection, preparation and dissemination of information on Commonwealth sentencing, resentencing, and parole practices. Data Snapshots are a quarterly publication designed to provide stakeholders with overviews of sentencing practices for different case types, summaries of evaluations of programs and policies, impact analyses, and other research initiatives of the Commission.
This Data Snapshot examines sentencing patterns post-subcategorization (2018-2023) for possession with intent to deliver (PWID) fentanyl and its analogues and derivatives. Distinct offense gravity score assignments for fentanyl were made by the Commission in response to concerns raised by district attorneys, law enforcement, and other practitioners regarding the rising public health crisis [Published June 2025].
This Data Snapshot examines sentencing trends over a twenty-five-year period (1999-2023) with a particular focus on sentences resulting in state confinement [Published April 2025].
This Data Snapshot provides an overview of the Commission’s initial evaluation of the Short Sentence Parole (SSP) program. The evaluation found that over the first two years of operation, SSP has been effective in reducing correctional costs while minimizing impacts to public safety [Published November 2024].
The first Data Snapshot focuses on sentencing practices for marijuana-related possession with intent to deliver (PWID) offenses. Using PCS data from 2021-2023, this data story includes an overview of the frequency of these cases, guideline recommendations, and patterns of guideline conformity and sentencing outcomes [Published September 2024].