People with state parole warrants can get a break if they reestablish compliance within the coming weeks.
The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections and the Pennsylvania Parole Board said in a statement Tuesday that they were launching the statewide Safe Return initiative.
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“Safe Return will be offered from August 24 to September 4 and eligible parolees can report to the closest parole office to reestablish compliance with parole supervision staff with the potential for more favorable consideration,” the agencies said in a statement.
“Anyone with an active state parole warrant can surrender during the statewide Safe Return initiative,” said Christian Stephens, deputy secretary for parole field services. “Because people will be voluntarily surrendering, they’ll most likely receive more favorable consideration regarding their warrants than if they were otherwise stopped and arrested.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, many reentrants were unavailable for supervision due to the loss of housing or fear of returning to a state correctional institution or community corrections center, the statement said.
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“It is our goal to encourage those reentrants to turn themselves in so that they can come back into compliance with state parole supervision without fear of being returned to a state prison,” Stephens said.
The state said there are 1,871 parolees – about 4.5 percent of the total parolee count – classified as absconders.
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The Safe Return initiative will also be offering services for those who need assistance with unpaid fines or substance use disorder.
More information on the program can be found here.
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