HB 1678 – passing the House Judiciary Committee in a bipartisan vote – would improve safety and reduce recidivism

HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania crime survivors today praised the House committee passage of HB 1678 – a part of the Safer Pennsylvania Act – which prioritizes rehabilitation programs to improve public safety. HB 1678, sponsored by Rep. Napoleon Nelson and bi-partisan co-sponsors, passed the House Judiciary Committee in a bi-partisan vote. This bill would help incarcerated people earn credits for educational programs and job training to ensure that they can successfully reenter society, as well as reduce the chances that they will reoffend. This reform is supported by Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice (CSSJ) – a national network of crime victims with over 7,800 members in Pennsylvania. Alexandra Abboud, the Pennsylvania state manager for CSSJ, released the following statement:

“What crime victims want most is for what happened to them to never happen to anybody else. That is why survivors like me have come out in strong support of HB 1678 and the Safer Pennsylvania Act – because it prioritizes approaches that improve safety and provide the tools for people to succeed after release.

Boosting participation in educational and job programs for people who will be returning to their communities has been proven to reduce the chances of returning to prison and help to stop cycles of crime.

We thank Rep. Napoleon Nelson for sponsoring this legislation and members of the House Judiciary Committee for standing with us as well. We look forward to working with the legislature on passing these reforms so we can make Pennsylvania safer for all.” More on HB 1678 can be found here.

About the Alliance for Safety and Justice The Alliance for Safety and Justice is a national organization that aims to win evidence-based new safety priorities in states across the country. It also brings together diverse crime survivors to advance policies that help communities most harmed by crime and violence, as part of Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice – its national network of over 180,000 crime survivors with thousands of members in Pennsylvania. For more information, visit: https://allianceforsafetyandjustice.org or https://cssj.org.