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PBPP Staff Train on PREA, Pardons Process in Altoona

Tags: Parole
October 23, 2018 12:00 AM
By: DOC Staff

PA Coat of Arms

Staff of PBPP's Bureau of Standards and Accreditation met in Altoona, PA for a bureau meeting on October 16, 2018.  This meeting included training on Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), the pardons process, and Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR).  It is the second such meeting this year for the bureau.  Overwhelmingly, bureau staff are very proud of the work we do, the people we work with, our great customer service, and our collective degree of impact. 

The bureau is comprised of parole auditors, parole auditor supervisors, parole managers, and parole staff technicians.  The bureau completes extensive background investigations for all applicants applying for pardons in the commonwealth, including commutation cases; all staff in the bureau contribute to the pardons process.  The bureau works very closely with the Board of Pardons, the DOC's Pardons Board Case Specialist Johnny Johnson, as well as the Office of Victim Advocate.  The bureau also completes pre-sentence investigations as well as audits of PBPP field supervision units. 

Staff received the Board of Pardons' Pathways to Pardons presentation by Secretary Steven Burk and Matthew Franchak, chief of staff of the Lt. Governor's Office.  "We couldn't do our work without the exemplary efforts of the Bureau of Standards and Accreditation," commented Secretary Burk.  Franchak echoed Secretary Burk's sentiments.  Bill Stauffer, executive director of addiction recovery organization Pro-A, discussed the importance of pardons in the addiction recovery process.  Pathways to Pardons presentations occur across the state to raise awareness of the pardons process and have contributed to a 10% increase in clemency applications being filed with the Board of Pardons.  The majority of applicants for pardons apply for employment and education reasons.

PBPP - 2018 Oct - Standards and Accreditation Meeting.jpg


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