[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6114880,"mediaKeyId","2741362-3b100f9d62a1d85a387a3dc7eea186fa","parentId",2741362,"title","Commission details annual data verification, research partnerships and a 25‑year sentencing data snapshot","audioSeconds",5077,"startMs",1963000,"endMs",7040000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2741362-3b100f9d62a1d85a387a3dc7eea186fa&start=1963&end=7040","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2741362-3b100f9d62a1d85a387a3dc7eea186fa/thumbnail_1963000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6114880/Pennsylvania/Commission-details-annual-data-verification-research-partnerships-and-a-25year-sentencing-data-snapshot","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6114880-fa63f674702f97101090fb2ce0a2773c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771192808&Signature=OtGS17fmVyr0oK9EoE9xOgBzWtYPZs4TvGWE8ckmSBiQ7HEn8avSQOm5~6X2NcZ0TZU6SpaPTpZiTMR7ERtra7xLGxTyVxJ69nTQsF5-KGtiWxt6hIJyvKFUyClFWqUhuQlD4IW104qDe~8Y61Pa02nAIph8QGQ4NNS1muOBfoTNYaLkv9WFY1HCVc4LUdATnO4SiRunCpAKk72bxr5i3AFhgbI2Nf0RriJs9y-rwMmK~AK8t4ouclmOi-a2qRT46FbithGuP3jKo0poDzKvKWND8k-G4-SvivRQ4u98rUPLhA0lAWetX03gT0YkhHDnNsYI97kjnvkCHltAQucGHg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-03-21T17:44:44Z","article","Deputy Director Ryan Myers and the research team briefed commissioners on annual reporting and verification procedures, academic partnerships, ongoing research projects, and a forthcoming data snapshot tracing 25 years of state‑prison sentencing trends.

Annual reporting and verification: Myers outlined the January–June workflow that matches AOPC court data to the commission’s SGS Web submissions, identifies missing sentences, and routes lists to county officials (president judges, district court administrators and chief probation officers) for reconciliation. Staff aim for counties to achieve at least an 85% reporting rate; Myers said the statewide reporting percentage has improved in recent years and that the 2023 annual report will be finalized and posted by June 2025.

Research partnerships and staffing: Noah Pinker Davis and Brett Miller summarized collaboration with Penn State University faculty and graduate researchers, and a new research partnership with Allegheny County’s criminal division to study probation practices and behavioral‑health resources. Miller noted the hiring of a former PCS postdoc as an assistant professor at Penn State who will affiliate with the commission and support research efforts.

Simulation modeling and data snapshots: Miller summarized ongoing work to maintain and apply mandated simulation models that project population and policy impacts. He described a practical approach to use simulation for legislative impact analyses and gave a preview of the commission’s next data snapshot: a 25‑year review of state confinement trends. The snapshot shows that a small set of offense types accounted for much of the state confinement time historically and that firearms offenses have increased as a share of time sentenced to state confinement in recent years.

Outreach and education: Education and outreach staff are expanding elearning modules and developing a PCS compendium (an encyclopedia‑style set of handbooks and handouts) to support practitioners as the eighth edition of the guidelines is implemented. Staff plan to convert the monthly email update into a quarterly newsletter moving forward.

Why it matters: Myers said accurate county reporting underpins the commission’s research and annual reports; Miller and Noah stressed that Penn State and local partnerships increase research capacity and allow the commission to be more proactive on policy questions.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Business Meeting, March 20, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Staff outlined the commission’s annual sentencing verification process, partnerships with Penn State and Allegheny County, and previewed a data snapshot showing 25 years of state‑prison sentencing trends.","taxTitle","Commission on Sentencing, Other State Agencies, Organizations, Executive, Pennsylvania","taxId",30809,"location","Pennsylvania","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6114885,"Commission presents SR 196 veterans study progress, recommends early identification and a 'cascade of care' framework",400,2740000,3140000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2741362-3b100f9d62a1d85a387a3dc7eea186fa&start=2740&end=3140","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2741362-3b100f9d62a1d85a387a3dc7eea186fa/thumbnail_2740000.jpg","/articles/6114885/Pennsylvania/Commission-presents-SR-196-veterans-study-progress-recommends-early-identification-and-a-cascade-of-care-framework","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6114885-422079f1d94c1a35e30701c6342aeb30/orig.mp4?Expires=1771192808&Signature=PpmQs6Xf8QcnojXMhb~b7tFtfL9q3d81lGXaN~h9spqPmcJqrA4ub9HXejKTev1p8XVMD3hDCVRu6kkkEzPZLljp2T3f~O0BN6yt1ON9z9xYe9P0IwQMEL6r39hzBXUy2Kq7H~FK7wMhreBr~oCj3eTiD1cOUHrHV18ug~Xp5zFymkbK1O6xqv3NbHGgFdDcaGrjb9CNHdym96pWfd7LtjGcfoDSoz6QfQAF3J55XPT6RLW8GssJ83xWts0wzyV3c3Klb9Dqe3zjHVyGBQfoGmjcM4tlEmpPkGq-1qPc1c34wY39zH~i2qJd0uRz95~1XpzJ0ZBPjrQpOc-a9ZNgEg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing reported substantive early findings from Senate Resolution 196 (SR 196), a 15‑month study of veterans in the criminal justice system, and proposed a Veterans Cascade of Care model emphasizing early identification and evidence‑based screening.

Brett Miller and Noah Pinker Davis summarized SR 196 activity: staff merged veteran identifiers from Department of Veterans Affairs records with commission and AOPC datasets to analyze criminal justice patterns among veterans; the team conducted county surveys, site visits to Allegheny and Jefferson counties and SCI Houtzdale veteran services units, and interviewed veterans justice officers, veterans affairs directors and stakeholders in veterans treatment courts.

The commission’s proposed framework: Miller described a Veterans Cascade of Care adapted from public‑health cascade models. The multi‑step framework begins with early identification (asking “Have you served in the military?”), proceeds to standardized screening for behavioral‑health needs, an evidence‑based clinical assessment where indicated, referral to appropriate treatment, initiation and engagement in treatment, and continuing care and retention. Miller said the cascade is intended to be flexible across settings (magisterial courts, county confinement, probation, parole and DOC) and to highlight gaps that reduce linkage into care.

Preliminary data and timing: Staff reported veterans comprise about 6% of records in their sentencing and AOPC datasets. Miller said the team is continuing additional site visits (Chester County planned for May) and interviews, and expects to present draft recommendations to an SR 196 advisory board meeting scheduled in mid‑May.

Why it matters: Commissioners noted the scale of the issue and resource variation across counties. Professor Rago and other members urged careful attention to rural service gaps and urged that identification and screening occur early in case processing. Miller said the final report will combine administrative data, survey responses, qualitative interviews and advisory‑board feedback to generate practice‑oriented recommendations.

Next steps: Staff will continue analyses, draft the report and consult with Senator Coleman’s office and the SR 196 advisory board as they finalize recommendations.","Staff reported preliminary merges of Department of Veterans Affairs data with court records, site visits, interviews and a proposed Veterans Cascade of Care to improve screening, assessment and linkage to treatment for veterans in the criminal justice system.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6114890,"Commission advances KCER next‑gen application, approves $50,000 contract extension",354,2290000,2644000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2741362-3b100f9d62a1d85a387a3dc7eea186fa&start=2290&end=2644","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2741362-3b100f9d62a1d85a387a3dc7eea186fa/thumbnail_2290000.jpg","/articles/6114890/Pennsylvania/Commission-advances-KCER-nextgen-application-approves-50000-contract-extension","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6114890-01475f2e071e97fa91f314a0783f28d9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771192808&Signature=bk2v5divg2CsOglqjq5NDBlRETFhJAyNxS9801VReIbxOvi8Ou1tx-5tTDw0h2kXaXrfs8fw2g26fi1ppRChZrqi71mf61fQRSOkUcn0q-MpQJ6ZqBLgDpcJuvZ~6t8GfrXEdgFGwmREW33S7nQCHxYnb3ToIBU1iB4JvEth6bxLHFwgwe1PrJKcAZ5zsZoJ2fpBV1FvWIP2c5JuFY7NMS09AhEGo~T1TK0nxdzYKsFGZFq9Kyll7q7Fjkoi0zt7A2StYcvqYAlEk9oIX4u1mllxmVYwOd7D6~2Ny7qXvQpTz0kuAEiN31LsUieEddWMrKgcZgGvW3Jr2IpaY5sWUA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing reported milestones on the KCER application—its replacement for SGS Web—and approved a three‑month, not‑to‑exceed $50,000 contract extension for an external developer working on the project.

Christy Rubin, Applications and IT unit manager, told commissioners the team completed screens and functionality that generate sentencing guidelines within the new Caser (KCER) application and is wrapping testing for guideline generation. She showed screenshots of the offense gravity score and prior record score screens, the sentence recommendation screen and a redesigned guideline form aimed at making judge-facing information easier to find.

Contract approval: The commission moved and voted to approve a service purchase contract with Carbon Creek to extend developer services through June for up to $50,000. Judge Thomas McDermott made the motion; Judge Michael McLaughlin seconded. The commission recorded an affirmative vote and the contract was approved without objection.

Why the project matters: The KCER application is intended to replace the legacy SGS Web system and to incorporate the eighth edition guidelines, the statutory sentencing risk assessment and improved reporting. Rubin said the team is keeping SGS Web operational in parallel while development continues and deployed maintenance updates on Feb. 27 to correct a risk‑assessment scoring issue and to implement statutory changes from Act 144 of 2022 and Act 16 of 2024.

Rollout timeline: Rubin displayed the project roadmap and said the team remains on track with a development and testing timeline through fall 2026 and state rollout concluding in 2027. She said the in‑house team and the contracted developer have reached key milestones: offense creation fixes, prior record score functionality, sentence risk assessment implementation and the new guideline report.

Operational numbers: Rubin reported that, as of Jan. 31, SGS Web contained over 116,000 sentences with 2024 sentencing dates and about 5,000 with 2025 sentencing dates. The commission said it will invite judge members to review the new guideline form and incorporate feedback before broader deployment.

Next steps: Staff will continue testing sentencing‑generation functionality, begin work on sentence submission functionality in KCER, and carry forward parallel maintenance and statutory updates to SGS Web.","The commission reported progress developing the KCER successor to SGS Web, demonstrated sentencing‑generation screens, and approved a $50,000 contract extension for the application developer.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6114895,"Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing warns of depleted reserves, accepts audit and outlines $4.1M budget request",1163,613000,1776000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2741362-3b100f9d62a1d85a387a3dc7eea186fa&start=613&end=1776","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2741362-3b100f9d62a1d85a387a3dc7eea186fa/thumbnail_613000.jpg","/articles/6114895/Pennsylvania/Pennsylvania-Commission-on-Sentencing-warns-of-depleted-reserves-accepts-audit-and-outlines-41M-budget-request","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6114895-1cfa9a9507be0bf6e2fa6fe2374518ec/orig.mp4?Expires=1771192808&Signature=MShlfh-GELXFoqfwok6O3um18xDzB7aUfsPTY9frfqxk3Dpu~nWKMYwS4ZTpZz6XK-fk1Hsunr22IIigFO7-XxIsVA8I8nJQKHe2xqF1mhhSwsTyY0yf7e91e6oOyAu6nEdSVr5GFkX5Fg3kKsVrD~3mPA78Fzv-IK3Oey5A6n9e5tqZZxyX2Wd3oJWsVVPPEnRX9kxQZHHbc75tnLs294piBIsD8pCZubIrEJWY5YfSAdLaITFgDQkdXWPs-j7MZSkwZcZEPpBldO17T~1NSMVMpLd8~~xQUm8uh4dOXfEOk1P7RfCFDtjX-eQPe3INAaC0zpAfiHeC041MDFtn6g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing accepted its independent fiscal audit and described sharply constrained operating reserves as staff urged legislative support for a $4.1 million budget request.

Chairman Fox opened the commission’s fiscal report and the board voted to accept the contract audit prepared by Boyer & Ritter. Executive Director Dr. Matthew Kleinman then walked members through the agency’s operating budget, recent savings actions and a formal budget request submitted in February.

The audit: The commission contracted Boyer & Ritter under a three-year agreement; the independent review for fiscal year 2023–24 found no material deficiencies in internal control and no reportable instances of noncompliance. The commission put the audit to a vote and the audit was accepted without recorded objection.

Why it matters: Kleinman told commissioners the agency has been flat-funded since fiscal year 2019–20 while workload and statutory responsibilities have increased. The shortfall threatens routine operations and staff capacity to respond to urgent data requests and legislative inquiries.

Key details and staff actions: Kleinman said the commission reduced full‑time equivalents from 24 to 22 last December and is holding one outreach specialist vacancy for budget reasons. The operating budget for fiscal year 2024–25 is presented at $3,700,000. He noted staff salaries total about $2,700,000, so the appropriation level in the governor’s proposal — $2,553,000 — would not fully cover payroll.

Reserves and restrictions: The commission reported roughly $1,600,000 in reserves on the books but explained these funds are largely earmarked: roughly $687,000 derives from Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI‑2) project funds reserved for a canceled contract to rebuild the legacy application; $97,000 is set aside under the Penn State MOU for the university partnership (graduate students, postdocs, space and services). After earmarks and encumbrances, Kleinman said the agency has about $72,000 of unearmarked operational funds remaining for the fiscal year.

Budget request and next steps: In February Kleinman said staff submitted a $4,100,000 request to the governor’s office and legislative leadership to support general operations. Commissioners discussed coordinated outreach to legislative allies, the courts, and stakeholder organizations to press the case for additional funding.

Votes at a glance: The meeting recorded three formal actions: approval of the December quarterly business meeting minutes (motion and second recorded; vote: all in favor), acceptance of Boyer & Ritter’s financial audit (motion and second; outcome: accepted, no objection), and approval of a service contract for application development with Carbon Creek (see separate IT article for details and vote tally).

What the commission will watch: Members noted incoming statutory work — for example, mandates from House and Senate resolutions — and routine requests (impact analyses, data pulls) that consume staff time. Commissioners asked legislative members on the panel to help coordinate support and approaches for the budget request.

Closing: The commission asked members to prepare for lobbying and outreach on funding in the weeks ahead, and scheduled follow-up discussions as the budget season progresses.","The commission accepted an independent fiscal audit, detailed operating reserves and spending constraints, and reported a $4.1 million budget request after explaining its current funding shortfall and staffing reductions.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commission details annual data verification, research partnerships and a 25‑year sentencing data snapshot

Commission presents SR 196 veterans study progress, recommends early identification and a 'cascade of care' framework

Commission advances KCER next‑gen application, approves $50,000 contract extension

Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing warns of depleted reserves, accepts audit and outlines $4.1M budget request