Pennsylvania prison population declined by 850 in 2015

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The Wolf administration says Pennsylvania’s prison population decreased by 842 inmates last year, the biggest one-year decline in 40 years.

Gov. Tom Wolf said today the decrease is driven by a 2012 law that is reducing the number of offenders sent to prison and diverting parole violators to less-expensive halfway houses, called community corrections centers.

At a center in Harrisburg, the governor and Corrections Secretary John Wetzel say the new policies are saving money that can be used to educate offenders and provide treatment for drug addiction or mental health problems.

State data show parole agent caseloads and parolee numbers have steadily risen.