NWSL players kneel during the national anthem

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WB mayor wants something done about fireworks; pandemic possibly behind surge in sales

WILKES-BARRE &mdash; Sen. Lisa Baker this week said the Senate Judiciary Committee has taken action on comprehensive probation reform intended to reduce the amount of time and resources devoted to probationers and help them fully reintegrate into society.
				Baker, R-Lehman Township, chairs the panel that she said took a comprehensive look at the concerns and challenges of criminal justice, increasing attention is being given to overhauling probation.
				&ldquo;But probation reform does not equate to abandoning our commitment to safety in our neighborhoods,&rdquo; Baker said.
				SB-14 provides an opportunity for early release from probation and ensures fewer individuals return to prison by offering incentives that reward positive behavior and participation in education, employment, vocational and drug treatment programming shown to reduce recidivism.
				The other crucial elements making this a substantial and constructive improvement include: mandatory review conferences, limits on probation in most cases, and needed flexibility in dealing with violations.
				&ldquo;When the decision is made to incarcerate or to place an individual on probation, there are a lot of parties involved in making that decision,&rdquo; Baker stated. &ldquo;To release an individual should not be a unilateral or snap determination. Those involved in the front end of justice, including victims, warrant a say on terminating a legally imposed sentence and the transition to freedom.&rdquo;
				The bill is bipartisan in its development, sponsorship, and advocacy. Sen. Camera Bartolotta (R-46) and Sen. Anthony Williams (D-8) championed the cause.
				Americans for Prosperity believes that helping more people successfully complete their terms of probation will make communities safer and help more people reach their potential.
				According to the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, updates like limiting when a technical violation can lead to revocation of probation and directing courts to consider scheduling confinement around a probationer&rsquo;s work schedule will help re-entrants obtain and maintain employment.
				The REFORM Alliance, an organization focused exclusively on community supervision, said the legislation creates a path forward for success by encouraging people to complete their probation terms in a reasonable time while simultaneously holding them accountable for wrongdoing.
				&ldquo;We all realize that in making judgments about future conduct, there are no guarantees,&rdquo; Baker added. &ldquo;But if we engage in an informed deliberative review based on individual circumstances, it increases the chances of avoiding tragic misjudgments and resulting in a system of justice worthy of the term.&rdquo;
				Gov. Wolf: PA has reduced prison
				population by 3,471 since March 1
				Gov. Tom Wolf announced this week that since March 1, the population of those in state correctional facilities has been reduced by 3,471 individuals, the largest multiple-month decrease ever experienced by the Department of Corrections and one that likely helped the department reduce the number of COVID-19 cases in facilities.
				&ldquo;When COVID-19 arrived, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections met the challenge of keeping the general public safe while protecting its inmate population from this easily transmissible disease,&rdquo; Gov. Wolf said. &ldquo;The department has been successful at keeping COVID-19 from spreading widely in the congregate settings of correctional facilities.&rdquo;
				In the three-plus months since COVID-19 was first identified in Pennsylvania, less than 1 percent of the state prison population has tested positive. Ultimately, the inmates inside state correctional institutions have proven so far to be more secure from COVID-19 than the general population, where the mortality rate is 90% higher than it is in the state&rsquo;s correctional facilities as of today.
				The population reduction includes furloughing paroled individuals from centers to home plans; working with the parole board to maximize parole releases; reviewing parole detainers for those in county jails and state prisons; expediting the release process for anyone with a pending approved home plan; reviewing and releasing inmates who are beyond their minimum sentences; and implementing the temporary reprieve program that has allowed Gov. Wolf to issue reprieves to 159 inmates during the pandemic.
				These releases are in addition to preexisting criminal justice reform efforts that have reduced Pennsylvania&rsquo;s prison population from 48,881 inmates when Gov. Wolf entered office at the beginning of January 2015 to 41,738 inmates today. That 7,143 decrease in population in under five years has allowed the state to reduce taxpayer costs by closing facilities while enabling more Pennsylvanians to resume their lives &mdash; all without an increase in the state&rsquo;s crime rate.
				&ldquo;The Department of Corrections takes pride in its ability to keep inmates safe and will continue to prioritize health and wellness during the COVID-19 crisis,&rdquo; DOC Secretary John Wetzel said. &ldquo;We will continue to seek improvements in our criminal justice system that minimizes the number of incarcerated individuals while providing the highest degree of safety to every Pennsylvanian.&rdquo;
				AG: Audits of Medicaid providers protect
				seniors, people with disabilities, taxpayers
				Auditor General Eugene DePasquale this week said new audits of Medicaid service providers that receive billions of taxpayer dollars each year prove the value of additional oversight.
				&ldquo;We must ensure that Medicaid patients receive the services for which the state is billed by direct care providers, and taxpayers have a right to know the money invested is used effectively and efficiently,&rdquo; DePasquale said. &ldquo;These audits show that for the most part the system is working, but there is always room for improvement.&rdquo;
				The first round of special financial-related performance audits were authorized under Act 42 of 2018, which was spearheaded by Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Pat Browne and received bipartisan support in the General Assembly. The vendors provide a variety of medical and human services, including long-term care and mental health services.
				&ldquo;All five audits include recommendations to enhance their checks and balances to ensure that every single Medicaid dollar goes to help seniors and people with intellectual disabilities,&rdquo; DePasquale said. &ldquo;My team will continue conducting similar audits to provide another layer of oversight.&rdquo;
				Three of the audits included financial-related findings that were referred to the state Department of Human Services (DHS).
				Pollinators need help to
				sustain future of food security
				Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding this week reminded Pennsylvanians &mdash; from kids and parents, to homeowners, to farmers &mdash; the importance of taking steps to protect our valuable population of pollinators to protect the future of food security.
				&ldquo;Many people are afraid of bees &mdash; they&rsquo;ve got a scary stinger that some people are allergic to, but did you know that one out of every third bite of food you take is thanks to a pollinator,&rdquo; said Secretary Redding. &ldquo;Think twice before you swat them and consider what you can do to safeguard them and help their colonies flourish. Because when pollinators flourish, so does our food supply.&rdquo;
				June 22-28, 2020 is National Pollinator Awareness Week. It&rsquo;s a time to celebrate pollinators and spread the word about what you can do to protect them and their valuable services to our ecosystem.
				A pollinator is anything that helps move pollen to fertilize flowers. Bees and butterflies are the most commonly known pollinators, but they also include moths, birds, flies, and small mammals such as bats. More than 75 percent of the world&rsquo;s food crops depend on pollination. Everyone can play a role in protecting pollinators and their vital work.
				Avoid or limit the use of pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides in your home garden. They can kill pollinators and poison hives. If you do use them, follow the label directions carefully. Apply to plants when they are not flowering, at dusk and when the air is calm, to limit exposure to pollinators.
				More bees mean a secure future for food availability, and it even means that our food tastes better. Farms with well managed pollination can increase their production by 24 percent and well pollinated plants produce larger, more uniform fruit. To foster a healthy natural pollinator habitat, farmers are encouraged to leave some areas of their farm under natural habitat and implement hedgerows.

Senate Judiciary Committee acts on comprehensive probation reform