Criminal justice reform advocates and some state lawmakers have been working to change Pennsylvania’s probation system for years.

Those efforts may be gaining momentum.

Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved a bill that would establish mandatory conferences that could end or reduce probation terms.

The bill calls for conferences after three years for misdemeanors and five years for those convicted of felonies.

The bill also would establish incentives that could reduce probation sentences, such as undergoing substance abuse treatment or obtaining a high school diploma.

Also, it would standardize penalties statewide, and preclude reincarceration for “technical” offenses short of committing a new crime.

The approval comes just a week after the Wolf administration announced that the state prison population had declined to its lowest level in decades — due largely to a series of bipartisan criminal justice reforms.

Critics say the current probation system keeps people under court supervision for far too long, making it too difficult for offenders to start new lives.

“Probation is supposed to be a pathway out of the criminal justice system.” said Sen. Camera Bartolotta, chief sponsor of the bill. “Instead, our state is adding more and more people to the community supervision, and they are getting stuck there.”

Bartolotta said it’s estimated the legislation would save the state Department of Corrections $5.7 million annually.

Since Pennsylvania has more than 300,000 people on probation or parole, the second-highest in the nation, the pending reform will have a major impact.

Like earlier reforms, this one would benefit not only people on probation or parole and their families, but taxpayers who foot the bill for the annual cost of incarceration — more than $42,000 a year — for each prisoner who leaves the system. Earlier reforms, which reduced the population from more than 51,000 a decade ago to 36,743 now, have saved hundreds of millions of dollars.

Critics contend the probation system, instead of helping people move away from court supervision, serves as a revolving door returning people to prison.

Those forced to stay on probation for years run the risk of being placed behind bars for even technical violations, such as missing an appointment with a probation officer or leaving the county for work or a doctor’s appointment, critics say.

The average probation officer in Pennsylvania is managing about 100 cases. A national group of probation officers recommends workers should typically be dealing with 50 cases.

Lawmakers need to move quickly on this legislation, and the Wolf administration should implement it as soon as possible.

— JGG