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Probation faces funding ‘crisis’ as population grows

While the state continues to lower its prison populations by sending inmates to county probation programs, it also continues to lower the amount of funding those programs receive, said Ed McCoy, chief adult probation officer, at Thursday’s Lycoming County commissioners meeting.

By statute, the state Board of Probation and Parole is required to reimburse the county Adult Probation Office for about 80 percent of its operating expenses. However, the county only will receive about $162,000 this year, which equates to about 26 percent of its nearly $1.4 million in operating costs.

“Many officers are making a difference while faced with expanding case loads and additional responsibilities,” he said. “Our average case load is 120 to 140 individuals. We have one individual that supervises 500 offenders. Just one guy.”

McCoy said the county has about 2,300 total probation and parole cases.

“Counties supervise 81 percent of prisoners released from state institutions while the state supervises 19 percent. So eight out of 10 parolees are under county supervision,” added Scott Metzger, deputy chief.

County Commissioner Tony Mussare asked if the state is using the money it saves by closing state prisons and mental health facilities to aid county facilities in any way. McCoy said the reimbursements received have equaled less than 30 percent for the past few years.

He said the state has brought on 150 new parole agents in order to reduce case loads to 50 parolees per state officer.

“There’s very difficult decisions that have to be made here. It’s going to put a lot more burden on the taxpayers,” Mussare said. “This is a crisis.”

From 1998 to 2014, the offender population statewide grew by 33 percent from 183,000 to 244,000, according to the County Chief Adult Probation and Parole Officers Association of Pennsylvania. Likewise, professional staff statewide grew by about 42 percent.

Funding, however, has done the opposite. By 1998, the grant meant to cover 80 percent of personnel costs was averaging coverage of less than 54 percent. In 2014, it covered just over 30 percent, according to the association.

McCoy said there are other grant options for the office, but most are for treatment programs. Another way they offset costs is through $40 per month of supervision fees paid by supervised offenders.

But, as prisons continually become overcrowded locally and statewide, McCoy doesn’t think such solutions will last.

“Our numbers will increase more and, without financial support from the state, we’re going to be overwhelmed and we won’t be able to manage our case loads,” he said.

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