LIT Lab Home | About The Explorer | Find & Compare | Explore: Pennsylvania Lists
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA
MIDDLE DISTRICT
N RE: THE PETITION OF THE
PENNSYLVANIA PRISON SOCIETY,
BRIAN MCHALE, JEREMY HUNSICKER,
CHRISTOPHER AUBEY, MICHAEL
FOUNDOS, AND FREDERICK LEONARD
ON BEHALF OF ALL SIMILARLY
SITUATED INDIVIDUALS,
Petitioners
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
70 MM 2020
SUPPLEMENTAL RESPONSE OF THE PRESIDENT JUDGE
OF THE 31ST JUDICIAL DISTRICT (LEHIGH COUNTY)
TO THE COURT’S ORDER OF APRIL 3, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic reached Pennsylvania in March, 2020 and the Pennsylvania
Supreme Court (“Supreme Court”) issued a series of judicial emergency orders on March 16, March
18, March 24, April 1, and April 28, 2020. Among other things, these orders suspended jury trials;
suspended the time limits for commencement of trials under Rule of Criminal Procedure 600(C)
(Prompt Trial Rule); closed all courts of Pennsylvania to the public except for certain essential
functions; and directed the President Judge of each judicial district to fashion emergency judicial
orders to address their particular circumstances. The orders eventually directed that the Courts
should use advanced communication technology to conduct Court proceedings whenever possible.
The April 28, 2020 order directed Pennsylvania courts to re-open beginning May 4, 2020 to conduct
business, but with limitations on types of proceedings and in-person access. On May 27, 2020, the
Supreme Court entered its final such order which, among other things, terminated the previous
emergency orders as of June 1, 2020 and empowered each President Judge to declare an emergency
within their own district and continue to exercise emergency powers. These Supreme Court orders
can be found at http://www.pacourts.us/ujs-coronavirus-information.
n April 3, 2020, the Supreme Court decided the within case by denying a petition asking
the Supreme Court “to direct the President Judges of the Commonwealth to order, inter alia, the
immediate presumptive release of specified categories of incarcerated persons to prevent the spread
of COVID-19 in county correctional institutions.” The April 3, 2020 order further directed the
President Judges of each judicial district to:
1
I
istory
H
O
…coordinate with relevant county stakeholders to ensure that the county
correctional institutions in their districts address the threat of COVID-19, applying
the recommendations of public health officials, including the CDC’s Interim
in
Guidance on Management of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Correctional and detention Facilities (Mar. 23, 2020). If utilization of public health
best practices is not feasible due to the population of the county correctional
institutions, President Judges should consult with relevant county stakeholders to
identify individuals and/or classes of incarcerated persons for potential release or
transfer to reduce the current and future populations of the institutions during this
health crisis with careful regard for the safety of victims and their communities in
general, with awareness of the statutory rights of victims and with due consideration
given to public health concerns related to inmates who may have contracted COVID-
19. Moreover, consistent with these above considerations, President Judges are to
undertake efforts to limit the introduction of new inmates into the county prison
system.
he April 3, 2020 Supreme Court order can be found at http://www.pacourts.us/ujs-
coronavirus-information.
T
O
n April 9, 2020, then President Judge Edward D. Reibman of the Court Of Common Pleas
Of Lehigh County (“this Court”) filed a written response entitled “Response of Edward D.
Reibman, President Judge of the 31st Judicial District (Lehigh County), to the Court’s Order of
April 3, 2020” (“Response”). That Response outlined the changes this Court and many other
institutions, departments and offices including, but not limited to, the Magisterial District Courts;
the Lehigh County Office of the District Attorney; the Lehigh County Public Defender’s Office;
Lehigh Valley Pretrial Services; the Lehigh County Adult Probation and Parole Department; the
Lehigh County Department of Corrections and the Lehigh County Department of Human Services;
conflicts attorneys appointed by the Court; and private criminal defense attorneys (“Stakeholders”)
implemented in accordance with the April 3, 2020 order. For the Supreme Court’s easy reference,
that Response is attached hereto as “Attachment A.”
In addition, beginning in March, 2020, and continuing to the present, this Court has issued
a series of judicial emergency orders effective in Lehigh County to address the multitude of
considerations involved in continuing to operate this Court during the COVID-19 pandemic
including, but not limited to, the need to serve members of the public who seek legal redress through
this Court; the need to protect the parties, the public and courthouse employees from COVID-19;
and the need to protect the legal rights of all parties involved in all legal matters filed with this
Court. These local judicial emergency orders can be found on this Court’s website at
https://www.lccpa.org/Covid19.
2
This supplemental response is filed to provide an updated summary of the actions
undertaken by this Court and the Stakeholders in response to the directives of the Supreme Court
set forth above related to the COVID-19 pandemic. It describes the methods by which by this Court
and the Stakeholders have undertaken to limit the number of defendants who come through the
Lehigh County justice system (“Lehigh County Defendants”) in LCJ both prior to, and pursuant to,
the April 3, 2020 order; provides data regarding trends in new criminal cases and incarceration rates
over the last six years; provides a random representative sample of the composition of Lehigh
County Defendants in Lehigh County Jail (“LCJ”) and their respective criminal offenses; offers
information regarding the setting of bail; and identifies areas where increased community resources
could supplement the work of the Court and other Stakeholders in this area.
This Court and the Stakeholders are acutely aware that incarceration is to be utilized in the
justice system when appropriate to protect victims and the community at large from dangerous
individuals and to deter individuals from committing future crimes and to ensure a defendant’s
appearance at future court proceedings.
trategies Employed By The Court And Stakeholders
one of us want people in jail who do not need to be there. That accomplishes nothing. The
people who work in the criminal justice system in Lehigh County are acutely aware that justice
does not just happen and that, as a human invention, it must be created. To do that, all involved
must operate from a philosophy of respect for all of humanity and work very hard every day to
ensure that everyone – defendants, victims, and the public – are treated fairly under the rule of law.
In accordance with that philosophy, and well before March, 2020, this Court and the Stakeholders
developed, and/or identified and utilized many innovative non-incarceration interventions and
community resources to appropriately limit the number of Lehigh County Defendants in LCJ. A
list of some of those interventions and resources is attached as “Attachment B.”
ince the COVID-19 pandemic began, in addition to the actions set forth in Attachment A
and Attachment B, this Court and the Stakeholders have also been enhancing those efforts by,
among other things:
1. Reducing criminal charges where appropriate.
. Re-examining the setting of bail and conditions that might allow for the release of a
Lehigh County Defendant in accordance with the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal
Procedure to ensure reasonable and realistic bail based on static and non-discriminatory
factors.
N
S
2
upplemental Response
3. Changing court calendars to receive plea agreements faster.
3
S
S
4. Conducting many court proceedings by advanced communication technology such as
Zoom in order to minimize moving Lehigh County Defendants around and risking
infection.
. Regularly reviewing the Lehigh County Defendant population in LCJ for the possibility
of early parole, bail reductions and/or working out plea agreements.
Increasing funding to subsidize electronic monitoring costs for repeat Driving While
Under the Influence of Alcohol or Controlled Substance offenders, allowing them to
choose electronic monitoring over jail without incurring the electronic monitoring cost
of $14.00 per day.
5
.
6
7
. Reducing the “Good Time” policy from 1 day off of a minimum sentence for every 6
days misconduct-free to 1 day off for every 4 days misconduct-free.
Furthermore, it is this Court’s understanding that the Lehigh County Department of
Corrections (“DOC”) has instituted measures to prepare, respond and ultimately recover from the
COVID-19 Pandemic that are in accordance with Center for Disease Control (“CDC”) guidelines,
the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and the Pandemic Plan followed by the contracted
healthcare provider, and derived from ongoing communication and collaboration with other
correctional facilities within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. These measures have been taken
at LCJ and the Community Corrections Center (“CCC’), a work release facility operated by the
DOC. The following is a general statement of what this Court understands to be those measures:
1. The evaluation of chemicals and cleaning supplies to ensure effectiveness in quelling
the virus began in late February, 2020. Enhanced sanitation protocols were instituted
throughout the departments, with particular attention to commonly used areas and
surfaces. All staff and inmates were provided instructions regarding the importance of
proper hygiene; frequent and thorough hand-washing; vigilance in maintaining social
distance whenever possible; and the importance of keeping surfaces clean. On March
13, 2020, access to LCJ and the CCC by non-essential visitors and volunteers was
suspended. Beginning on April 3, 2020, residents of the CCC were prohibited from
leaving that facility to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
2. The contracted healthcare provider added COVID-19 screening questions for all new
commitments. Both staff and inmates are screened for symptoms and are subject to
temperature checks prior to entering the facility. All newly incarcerated inmates are
required to quarantine for a minimum of 14 days. As of December, 2020, all new
commitments are tested using an Abbot Rapid COVID Antigen test. Inmates who test
negative are tested again at the end of their quarantine period. Mass testing of the entire
LCJ population was conducted in December and regular surveillance testing of the
population is on-going.
4
3. Collaborative efforts of the Stakeholders to release those inmates deemed appropriate
began in in mid-March, 2020 and included review of the cases of inmates identified as
medically vulnerable by the DOC’s contracted healthcare provider, to identify and
implement alternatives to incarceration or discharge where suitable. The population
review process is on-going.
4. Use of appropriate personal protective equipment that was provided to all staff and
inmates was made mandatory, all meals are served to inmates in their cells, and the
number of inmates permitted out of their cells contemporaneously was reduced to
promote social distancing.
. As part of the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s COVID-19 vaccination plan, the
DOC is working with its contracted healthcare provider to establish a plan to vaccinate
both staff and inmates at such time as doses of vaccine become available.
As 2020 proceeded, this Court attempted to resume jury trials by employing extensive safety
measures to protect all participants from COVID-19, while at the same time protecting the statutory
rights of victims and the constitutional rights of defendants. However, when the spread of COVID-
19 in Pennsylvania and Lehigh County increased in the Fall of 2020, this Court was again
constrained to suspend jury trials in order to avoid the risk of spreading COVID-19. Currently, jury
trials are suspended through April 2, 2021 and this Court will continue to regularly evaluate the
evolving circumstances relative to the COVID-19 pandemic and determine the optimum date for
resumption of jury trials.
rends Over The Past Six Years
otwithstanding the constraints caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, this Court and the
Stakeholders have been effective in limiting the inmate population of Lehigh County defendants in
LCJ throughout 2020 to the present. In order to understand where we are now, it is useful to first
understand where we have been in the past. To provide that perspective, we offer the following
data. It is important to note that this data relates only to Lehigh County Defendants, defendants who
come through the Lehigh County justice system; it does not include federal, state, or other
jurisdiction defendants - inmates over whom this Court has no jurisdiction.
1. Lehigh County has a population of approximately 370,000 people, approximately 121,000
of whom are citizens of the City of Allentown, the third largest city in Pennsylvania.
See: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/.
2. LCJ has a total bed capacity of 1,363 (1,267 operational, 96 emergency).
5
N
5
T
3. The number of new criminal cases filed in Lehigh County the past six years were:
NEW CRIMINAL CASES 2015 - 2020
5423
5574
5752
5588
5306
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
4853
2020
4. The average daily population (“ADP”) of Lehigh County Defendants in custody for those
same years is depicted below. The dark blue bar represents Lehigh County Defendants in
LCJ. The light blue bar represents Lehigh County Defendants in the CCC.
AVERAGE DAILY POPULATION BY YEAR
2015-2020
929
924
901
851
722
569
185
189
180
167
142
43
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
LEHIGH COUNTY JAIL (LCJ)
COMMUNITY CORRECTION CENTER (CCC)
hese charts demonstrate that, although the number of criminal cases has remained fairly
consistent over the past several years until 2020, the number of Lehigh County Defendants
in LCJ has steadily decreased. This is because, even before the COVID-19 pandemic began,
this Court and the Stakeholders had been employing strategies to limit Lehigh County
Defendants in LCJ.
6
T
5. The number of new criminal cases filed in Lehigh County in 2020, by month, is depicted
on the chart below:
2020 MONTHLY NEW CRIMINAL CASES
391
386
415
355
268
445
432
541
451
462
355
352
6. The ADP of Lehigh County Defendants in 2020, by month, is depicted on the chart below.
The dark blue bar represents Lehigh County Defendants in LCJ. The light blue bar
represents Lehigh County Defendants in the CCC.
AVERAGE DAILY POPULATION BY MONTH
2020
621
662
627
514
469
483
513
533
569
591
613
637
113
111
97
52
30
22
20
18
17
16
20
2
LEHIGH COUNTY JAIL (LCJ)
COMMUNITY CORRECTION CENTER (CCC)
ote that, in January, February, and March of 2020, the ADP of Lehigh County Defendants
in LCJ was already at historic lows. (Compare annual totals shown on chart on page 6.)
Thereafter, the LCJ population decreased further before rising in the Fall. In December
2020, the CCC was closed in order to reallocate staff to LCJ necessitated by COVID-19
related absences. The ADP of the CCC residents steadily declined through December, 2020.
N
7
A Random Representative Sample
One might argue that this Court is not following the directions contained in the Supreme
Court’s April 3, 2020 order because the ADP of LCJ in December, 2020 of 637 Lehigh County
Defendants was slightly higher than the ADP in March, 2020 of 627 defendants, which represents
46% of LCJ’s 1,363 total capacity. (See page 5). However, the ADP declined through May, 2020
and rose slowly thereafter but did not exceed the March, 2020 ADP until December, 2020. Also,
the data on the prior chart shows that new criminal cases decreased in April and May but then
exceeded pre-COVID-19 pandemic 2020 levels from June through October until dropping as winter
began. Ii is important to understand that the population of LCJ changes daily and will continue to
do so, as inmates are released and new defendants are committed.
n order to understand the composition of the Lehigh County Defendant population in LCJ
at any given time, a random representative sample of a specific date is illustrative:
n January 26, 2021, there were 562 Lehigh County Defendants in LCJ – the only LCJ
inmates over whom this Court has jurisdiction. In addition, there were 136 federal, state or other
jurisdiction inmates – LCJ inmates over whom this Court has no jurisdiction. That figure is 75
inmates fewer than the average ADP for the preceding month of December, 2020 (637), and 65
inmates fewer than the ADP for March, 2020 (627). The January 26, 2021 population of 562
represents 41% of LCJ’s 1363 total capacity.
he composition of the 562 Lehigh County Defendants in LCJ on January 26, 2021 is
depicted on the chart below:
Lehigh County Defendants In LCJ on 1/26/2021
By Category of Offense
29%
48%
9%
0%
6%
8%
Sentenced
Probation/Parole Violation
Bail Revoked
PFA Contempt
Pending Felonies
Pending Misdemeanors
his chart shows the following approximate percentages of this composition:
8
I
O
T
T
Forty-eight percent (48%), or 268, of the 562 Lehigh County Defendants in LCJ on
January 26, 2021 had been convicted and were serving sentences, which cannot be
summarily shortened, waived or suspended under the law. Also, releasing those
defendants before they are eligible for parole would be against the public interest for a
variety of reasons. Though 23 of these 268 defendants were eligible for parole, they
remained incarcerated because: they desired to serve their maximum sentences; were
subject to detainers from other counties and did not want to be transferred to another
jail; or did not have housing. In some cases, family members and/or friends of the
defendant did not respond to requests to secure a residence for the defendant. It is
important to remember that releasing an inmate to the street could endanger that person
and would prevent the Adult Probation and Parole Department from providing
supervision due to being unable to contact the defendant.
• Eight percent (8%), or 48, of the 562 Lehigh County Defendants in LCJ on January 26,
2021 were incarcerated as a sanction for violating their probation either for technical
reasons or by getting arrested on new charges.
Six percent (6%), or 30, of the 562 Lehigh County Defendants in LCJ on January 26,
2021 had their bail revoked because they failed to appear for Court or otherwise
violated conditions of bail. One defendant was incarcerated as a sanction for contempt
of a Protection From Abuse Order.
Twenty-nine percent (29%), or 165, of the 562 Lehigh County Defendants in LCJ on
January 26, 2021 were pending disposition (between arrest and trial) of felony offenses.
Nine percent (9%), or 50, of the 562 Lehigh County Defendants in LCJ on January 26,
2021 were pending disposition (between arrest and trial) of misdemeanor offenses.
urther break-downs of the two “pending disposition” categories, by most serious offense
against each Lehigh County Defendant in LCJ on January 26, 2021, appears below.
PENDING FELONIES
he 165 (29%) Lehigh County Defendants in LCJ held on felony offenses by category of
offense are listed below (detainers not noted).
OFFENSE
Homicide (Non-bailable offense)
Drug Delivery Resulting In Death
Attempted Homicide
Sexual Assault-related
Arson
Aggravated Assault
Robbery
NUMBER OF DEFENDANTS
16 (2 had bail revoked on other charges)
1
4
8
3
31
24
9
•
•
•
•
F
T
40 (9 include use of firearms)
Delivery or Attempt to Deliver a
Controlled Substance
Firearms offenses
Burglary
Strangulation
Failure to Register as Sex Offender
Theft
Fleeing and Eluding Police
Escape
Felony Trespass
Operating a Chop Shop
Stalking
Corrupt Organization
Retail Theft
15
9
2
1
3
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
PENDING MISDEMEANORS
he 50 (9%) Lehigh County Defendants in LCJ on January 26, 2021 held on misdemeanor
offenses are listed by category of offense are listed below (some detainers noted).
the Influence
OFFENSE
Terroristic Threats
Simple Assault
Driving Under
(DUI)
Possession-related offenses
Resisting Arrest
Defiant Trespass
Receiving Stolen Property
Retail Theft (detainers)
False Identification (detainer)
Theft By Unlawful Taking
Indecent Exposure
NUMBER OF DEFENDANTS
10
11
9 (Incarcerated due to multiple charges)
8 (4 have parole/probation violations and detainers)
(2 have serious and chronic mental health history)
4
1 (Has significant mental health history)
1 (Multi-state offender, extensive criminal history)
2
1
1
1
ithin a short time after January 26, 2021, approximately 20 of the 213 Lehigh County
Defendants in LCJ pending disposition of criminal charges have been released through bail
reductions or dispositions through the normal course of procedure.
Certainly, the number of Lehigh County Defendants in LCJ will vary daily due to a variety
of factors. Though it may decrease through the normal course of procedure and/or the additional
efforts of this Court and the Stakeholders employed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic or
increase from time to time despite the best efforts of the Court and the Stakeholders, there is a
reasonable basis for the current Lehigh County Defendant population in LCJ.
T
W
10
In each criminal case, the considerations involved in determining appropriate bail for a
particular Lehigh County Defendant that are required by the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal
Procedure are reviewed by the Magisterial District Judges at the outset of a case; then again by the
District Attorney, Public Defender, private defense attorneys, and Pretrial Services; and still again
by this Court. At each stage, every effort is made to assign a reasonable bail for each defendant in
accordance with these statutory considerations, with the release of the defendant being the preferred
option if safely possible for all concerned, including the victim and the public. The random
representative sample discussed at pages 8 to 10 demonstrates that most Lehigh County Defendants
in LCJ have serious charges and/or detainers and/or other issues which must be addressed. Very
few Lehigh County Defendants remain incarcerated solely due to an inability to post bail and, when
that is the case, are typically addressed in the normal course of procedure.
t is important to remember that no bail is set for defendants charged with summary offenses,
but that summary offenses are lesser-included offenses of felonies and misdemeanors, for which
bail is set. Thus, a mere cursory review of the lists of criminal offenses charged against the Lehigh
County Defendants in LCJ, which will, at any given time, include lesser-included summary
offenses, could lead to the mistaken conclusion that defendants are being held in LCJ because of
an inability to post bail on summary offenses alone.
ehigh County is extremely fortunate to be served by Lehigh Valley Pretrial Services, one
of the premier bail agencies in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the bail agency Court-
appointed by this Court for Lehigh County. Its highly experienced and dedicated officers interview
defendants; conduct background investigations, make recommendations on bail and/or conditions
of release to the Court or Magisterial District Court, as appropriate; supervise defendants in the
community while on bail; and report any violations of bail to the Court or Magisterial District Court.
ommunity Resources
This Court and the Stakeholders recognize that crime is directly impacted by a variety of
social factors including, but not limited to: poverty and lack of proper food and clothing, lack of
safe and affordable housing, lack of access to mental health evaluations, treatment and medication,
drug and alcohol addiction, unemployment, lack of transportation, problems associated with
education and insufficient education support. For this reason, efforts to effect positive change in
these areas by public and private organizations, agencies and individual volunteers, can
meaningfully contribute to reduce the crime rate and lessen the demands upon the criminal justice
system, thereby helping to lower rates of incarceration.
ail
B
C
I
L
11
ehigh County is well-served by experienced, committed, hard-working, innovative,
passionate, and compassionate people working in the Court of Common Pleas of Lehigh County,
the Magisterial District Courts, the Lehigh County Office of the District Attorney, the Lehigh
County Public Defender’s Office, Lehigh Valley Pretrial Services, the Lehigh County Adult
Probation and Parole Department, the Lehigh County Department of Corrections and the Lehigh
County Department of Human Services; and as well as conflicts attorneys and private criminal
defense attorneys. All have dedicated their professional lives to criminal justice and spend their
time working hard to create justice rather than advertising their good work. Their desire to protect
all of the people of Lehigh County, incarcerated and non-incarcerated alike, from a wide variety of
dangers is genuine, yet realistic. Daily, they ably balance the goal of limiting the number of Lehigh
County Defendants who are incarcerated and limiting the spread of COVID-19 among the LCJ
population, with the safety of the public that could be at risk were defendants to be released without
proper regard for necessary and important legal considerations.
his Court will continue to: engage and coordinate with the Stakeholders; undertake efforts
to limit the introduction of new inmates into the county prison system; identify and implement
changes necessary to meet the specific challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic; and honor
the long-standing commitment of this Court and the Stakeholders to effectively, efficiently and
respectfully administer criminal justice in Lehigh County in order to protect the rights and safety
of all – defendants, victims, and public alike.
L
T
onclusion
C
Respectfully submitted,
ebruary 24, 2021
J. Brian Johnson, President Judge
12
F
ATTACHMENT A
ATTACHMENT B
INTERVENTIONS AND COMMUNITY RESOURCES UTILIZED IN
THE LEHIGH COUNTY CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
The Court of Common Pleas of Lehigh County (“Court”), the Magisterial District Judges
of Lehigh County, the Office of the District Attorney of Lehigh County, the Public Defender of
Lehigh County, the Lehigh County Adult Probation and Parole Department, Lehigh Valley Pretrial
Services, the Lehigh County Department of Corrections, the Lehigh County Department of
Human Services, conflicts attorneys, and private criminal defense attorneys (“Stakeholders”) have,
for many years, been engaged in a continuing cooperative and collaborative effort to review cases
for reduced bail where appropriate, to resolve cases at the earliest time reasonably possible, and to
utilize all possible interventions and resources to prevent incarceration in the Lehigh County
criminal justice system.
The following is a list of some of the interventions and community resources utilized
prepared by some of the Stakeholders. This list is not exhaustive of every resource or intervention
available; but is a representative compilation. Some of these interventions were created specifically
as part of the criminal justice system in Lehigh County and others are existing community
resources that are accessed and utilized, as appropriate, by that system.
Over-arching the long-standing effort by the Court and Stakeholders to develop and utilize
interventions and resources to prevent incarceration, is the Lehigh County Criminal Justice
Advisory Board (CJAB), a cross-systems, multi-disciplinary communication and collaboration
board comprised of representative members of institutions and agencies in Lehigh County that was
created approximately 20 years ago. Over those 20 years CJAB has enhanced our ability to address
the many factors involved in criminal justice and continues to do so.
(2/24/21)
1
1. Court of Common Pleas of Lehigh County.
• Created a Drug Court to ensure public safety through a judicially-managed intensive
substance abuse treatment program, including intensive treatment/supervision, case
management and other services to defendants. A multi-agency concept treats addiction,
addresses barriers to recovery and fosters pro-social bonds to remain drug/crime free.
Community based supervision employing incentives/rewards and sanctions, such as
electronic monitoring, are utilized to encourage positive outcomes and prevent lengthy
terms of incarceration.
2. Office of the District Attorney of Lehigh County
• Team MISA (Mental Illness Substance Abuse), develops intervention strategies and
individualized action plans for the disposition of criminal cases and re-entry to our
community for individuals with special needs. Team MISA was created by the DA’s
Office, Pretrial Services, the Jail, and the Mental Health Office.
• Veteran Mentor Program. The Veterans’ Mentor Program provides all qualifying
veterans with a trained mentor who serves as an advocate and ally to help them navigate
the criminal justice system and life issues.
• Ramona, a black Labrador, is a trained courthouse companion dog who is available to
interact with crime victims and witnesses who may be nervous about the criminal
justice system.
• Lehigh County DA’s school-based sexting prevention program.
2
• Prescription Medication Drop Boxes located throughout the community to collect
medications that are no longer needed or are expired.
• Community Based Intervention programs that are anti-drug and anti-gang focused.
•
Elder Abuse Task Force
3. Lehigh County Adult Probation and Parole Department.
• Provides on and off-site classroom presentations on Alcohol Highway Safety, Financial
Management, Health Education Awareness, Job Readiness Training, Life Skills,
Prevention through Anti-Violence Education (PAVE), Retail Theft Rehabilitation,
• Developed the Out-Mate Program as a non-incarceration option, which consists of
Substance Abuse Education.
three stages:
o A defendant in violation status enters the Community Corrections Center, for up to
90 days, in lieu of incarceration;
o While in the Community Correction Center, the defendant attends programming
geared towards their risk and needs, such as intensive drug treatment, anger
management, sex offender treatment and other programming afforded at the
Community Correction Center;
o Upon successful completion, the defendant is released from the Community
Corrections Center without a Probation/Parole violation or loss of “street
time.” The Out-Mate Program accomplishes the three primary goals of reducing
the number of probation/parole technical violations, enforcing court compliance
and preventing incarceration.
3
•
Implemented the following procedures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in an
effort to limit the jail population:
o Developed a bail recommendation checklist which is forwarded to each Judge to
ensure reasonable/realistic bail based on static and non-discriminatory factors, such
as risk, underlying charge, ties to the community, etc.
Periodically reviewing the jail population for the possibility of early parole in order
to reduce the jail population.
o Increased funding for electronic monitoring to subsidize electronic monitoring
costs for repeat DUI offenders allowing DUI offenders to choose electronic
monitoring over jail without incurring the cost of $14 per day while on electronic
monitoring.
o Changed the “good time” policy, which was reduced from one day off an inmate’s
minimum for every six days they are misconduct free to one day off an inmate’s
minimum for every four days misconduct free.
4. Public Defender of Lehigh County.
• Client Advocate: provides holistic support for defendants and collaborates with other
entities to connect individuals to case management appropriate community resources.
• Bail Review/Expediated Case Resolution: Conducts daily review of bail of all new
pretrial inmates to determine the necessity of a bail reduction and/or the expedited
• Review for Early Parole: Conducts frequent reviews of inmates serving sentences to
resolution of cases.
determine early parole eligibility.
4
5. Lehigh Valley Pretrial Services is the bail agency appointed by the Court of Common
Pleas of Lehigh County. It:
• Conducts interviews of defendants.
• Provides bail recommendations including conditions of release.
• Refers defendants to treatment services,
• Provides supervision and support to ensure compliance and connection to community
services.
• Monitors LCJ population for the purpose of possible bail reductions.
• Makes referrals for housing.
• Makes referrals for drug and alcohol treatment.
• Makes referrals of mental health assessment, treatment and medication.
• Coordinate Planned Releases of defendants from LCJ to various programs, as
appropriate.
• Makes referrals to job readiness programs.
• Communicate and coordinate with the other resources on this list.
6. Lehigh County Department of Human Services
• Information and Referral, a centralized unit provides for a “no wrong door” entry,
allowing residents to receive timely referral by cross-trained staff that take referrals for
all DHS offices, provide information about county and community resources and
emergency services, and facilitate the initial stage of multi-office collaboration.
5
• Lehigh County Crisis Intervention is a licensed telephone and mobile crisis service
that provides mental health assessments to all age groups regardless of income or
insurance. Crisis Intervention operates 24-hour/7 days a week.
• Cross Systems Team is an interdisciplinary team of staff across DHS, probation,
Pretrial Services, Magellan, and community providers that develops plans to support
people who are involved in multiple systems.
• Community-based residential services are provided by five providers contracted by
the County Mental Health office. These are staffed residential units established
in community settings that provide specialized treatment, rehabilitation and care for
people living with a serious and persistent mental illness.
• Pathways to treatment has a case manager who serves as a “boundary spanner”
supporting individuals who do not “fit” neatly into one service area. The case manager
supports people in obtaining benefits, housing and other needed services to live
successfully in the community.
• Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH), is a Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Administration funded program operated by Lehigh County
that funds services for people with serious mental illness experiencing homelessness.
Since PATH is not HUD-funded, PATH funds often can be used to supplement and fill
in cracks left by HUD limitations.
• Lehigh County Drug and Alcohol.
o Prevention promotes constructive lifestyles that discourage drug abuse and
promotes development of social environments that facilitate drug-free lifestyles.
6
o Intervention encompasses the initial steps for drug and alcohol services. The goal
is to assist the individual to recognize, to identify and to engage the problems
related to substance abuse. Intervention services identify the fact that support is
needed not only for the individual but also for their family environments.
o Assessment Information the first step in the process for Lehigh County residents
to get the assistance they need.
o Intensive Case Management (ICM) services are designed for those individuals
who present with multiple needs and lack the skills or resources to meet those
needs. The two primary goals of ICM are: 1) to increase client retention in and
completion of drug and alcohol treatment in order to move clients toward recovery
and self-sufficiency; and 2) to increase client access to core services such as
psychiatric care and secure living environments.
o In-Patient treatment may consist of detoxification, short-term residential,
moderated and long term residential. The treatment level that is needed is based
upon the information that is gathered at the assessment for treatment services.
o Partial hospitalization treatment, consists of psychiatric, psychological and other
types of therapy on a planned and regularly scheduled basis in which the client
resides within the facility. This service is designed for those clients who do not
require 24-hour residential care, but who would benefit for more intensive
treatments than offered in Outpatient treatment options.
o Halfway Home of the Lehigh Valley, a community-based residential treatment
and rehabilitation facility that provides services for chemically dependent persons
in a supportive, chemical-free environment. While this setting does provide
7
substance abuse treatment, it also emphasizes protective and supportive elements
of family living.
o Out-Patient treatment, is an organized, non-residential treatment service
providing therapy in which the client resides outside the facility and commutes
from their home. These services are usually provided in regularly scheduled
individual and group treatment sessions and are generally not more than 5 hours of
therapy per week.
o Intensive Out-Patient treatment (IOP), is also an organized, non-residential
treatment service in which the client resides outside the facility and commutes from
their home. IOP provides structured therapy and client stability through increased
periods of staff intervention.
o Center of Excellence (CoE) a community-based care management teams to assist
with care coordination and recovery support for their clients. The care management
team work together to ensure that clients' care is coordinated across all domains and
that all treatment and non-treatment needs are addressed, either through on-site
services or through referrals.
7. Lehigh County Mental Health Forensic Services
• SPORE (Special Program of Recovery and Education), a partnership between the
Office of Lehigh County Mental Health and the Juvenile and Adult Probation
Departments that provides a mental health caseworker and a probation officer to jointly
and intensively supervise consumers who experience severe mental health problems.
This team works closely with community based mental health services to assist the
8
consumer in developing emotional stability. Forensic case management assisting with
cases in jail or out on bail, providing assessments and evaluations. Psychiatric
evaluations are utilized to identify individual’s needs as they pertain to obtaining and
participating in mental health services.
• Law Enforcement, CIT (Crisis Intervention Team), has trained 126 officers
representing 14 police departments in Lehigh County. This national model of training
first responders was implemented in Lehigh County in 2014. The training includes
mental health awareness, system information and contacts and de-escalation
techniques.
• Sex Offender treatment.
8. National Alliance on Mental Illness - Lehigh Valley
• Peer Support Group is for individuals who live with serious mental illnesses and are
seeking wellness. The meeting provides a safe space to give and receive support in a
confidential, relaxed setting.
• Family Support Group is for families and close friends of individuals who live with
mental illness. In a confidential setting, we share our stories, help each other, and
embrace humor as one of many practical ways to cope.
9. The Advocacy Alliance
• Consumer/Family Satisfaction Teams
• Consumer Financial Management Services
o Representative Payee Services
9
o Guardianship Services
• Peer Mentors provide help and support utilizing their lived experience of having a
mental illness in coming alongside another person and supporting them in their
recovery.
10. Step by Step
• MPR (Mobile Psychiatric Rehabilitation), provides mental health treatment to
individuals while incarcerated at Lehigh County Jail to support recovery and prevent
decompensation and assists individuals who are released to independent living to
establish community reentry in a positive, healthy and organized manner.
• LTSR (Long Term Structured Residence), is a secure facility for eight individuals who
have a serious mental illness and need treatment and/or competency restoration.
Individuals are placed in the LTSR as a diversion form incarceration or state hospitals
• LTSR Step-Down is a ten-bed facility that allows individuals leaving the LTSR or are
otherwise forensically involved to continue in their recovery as they prepare for full
community integration.
11. Lehigh County Mental Health CARE program (Corrections Assessment Re- entry
Endeavor), under a contract with Step by Step, this program provides intake and
assessment, counseling, and psychiatric evaluations in the jail. This service also supports
the transition from jail-based to community treatment.
10
12. Pinebrook Family Services
• Community Services-Police Liaison. Lehigh County funds two CIS (Community
Integration Specialists) who serve as police liaisons working closely with the municipal
police departments providing mental health consultation to officers in the field and
connecting individuals to resources and treatment. CIS staff also support individuals at
the Magisterial District Court.
• Warmline a confidential, one-on-one telephone support service for individuals who
have a mental illness and are experiencing sadness or loneliness. It is staffed by
individuals who are in recovery and understand the needs of their peers.
13. PeerStar, Certified Forensic Peers. Forensic Peer Support is an evidence-based model
that focuses on jail diversion and community reintegration. Peer Specialists run groups in
the jail and meet individuals the day they are released to help ensure engagement with
community services.
14. Blue Guardian is an innovative program operated in partnership with the County’s Drug
and Alcohol program and local law enforcement, has a police officer and a Certified
Recovery Specialist respond to the home of an individual within 24 to 48 hours of the
individual experiencing a Narcan reversal of an opioid overdose.
15. Averhealth provides drug testing services to justice-involved programs.
11
16. Upper Macungie HUB. The Upper Macungie Police Department holds a monthly
interdisciplinary team meeting to discuss and develop plans for human service-related
calls.
17. Haven House
• Outpatient Services that are expedited for people leaving the jail. In had taken 3-4
months for a returning citizen to have an appointment with a psychiatrist to receive
medications. Haven House was able to provide appointments every Thursday afternoon
to enable people to receive prescriptions and remain on their medications.
• Facility and Mobile Psychiatric Rehabilitation services focusing on the five domains
of living, learning, socializing, self-maintenance, and working.
• Wellness Recovery Team cares for adults with a serious and persistent mental illness
and a co-occurring chronic physical illness and/or substance use disorder.
18. Lehigh Conference of Churches
• Daybreak is a drop-in center that gives people living with mental illness or physical
disabilities and those struggling with addiction or HIV/AIDS, as well as the
neighborhood’s elderly, a place to belong. Staff teach life skills and work with members
to provide stability and helping them reach their full potential. Daybreak serves two
balanced meals daily.
• Pathways Housing Services offers a full spectrum of housing services designed for
homeless or in an unstable housing situation. Services include: Pharmaceutical
assistance for qualifying prescriptions, Representative payee services, Benefit
12
enrollment assistance for the uninsured and guidance in securing identification, Help
with day-to-day needs, such as diapers, baby wipes, bus passes, and utility assistance
• Lazarus Housing Project offers shared housing opportunities for adults re-entering
the community following incarceration. It successfully provides affordable housing,
develops supportive relationships and helps people remain safely in the community.
•
Homeless Outreach and Positive-social Engagement (“HOPE ICM Program”)
provides a pathway to stability for homeless adults dealing with mental illness and
substance abuse.
• Ecumenical Soup Kitchen serves 36,000 meals annually, including 1,500 children.
19. Allentown Rescue Mission
• Emergency Shelter.
• Transformation Program offers spiritual growth opportunities, transitional housing
meals, clothing, and life skills education classes
• The Clean Team participants earn wages performing real work in the community,
while learning valuable life skills.
• DeSales University free medical services provided for clients of the Allentown
Rescue Mission. The clinic is staffed by volunteer doctors, physician assistants,
DeSales’ faculty, and physician assistant students from the community.
20. YMCA Warming Station is open from November to April and serves as a temporary
shelter for homeless men and women in need of respite from the harsh elements of winter.
13
21. St Luke’s Parrish Nurses Program is an outreach of St. Luke’s Sacred Heart operating
in churches and soup kitchens in Allentown focusing on the realms of mind, body and spirit
of homeless and near homeless individuals.
22. Street Medicine Program is designed to deliver primary and urgent care to homeless
people in shelters, soup kitchens, under bridges or in the woods. All care provided by Street
Medicine, including medications, laboratory tests and diagnostic studies, is free.
23. Assertive Community Teams (ACT), consists of a community-based group of medical,
behavioral health and rehabilitation professionals who use a team approach to meet the
needs of an individual with severe and persistent mental illness. This is a 24/7 response
model that is referred to as “a hospital without the walls.”
24. Blended Case Managers (BCM) a service that assists individuals with a variety of
behavioral health/medical needs by building a strong network of community resources and
services. The BCM program plays a major role by linking clients with needed services in
the community.
25. Robbins Bower Crisis Residential program is a lower-cost, community-based treatment
option in a home-like setting that helps reduce emergency department visits and divert
hospitalization and/or incarcerations.
14
26. New Vitae Wellness and Recovery/Mt Trexler Manor
• Veterans Services include comprehensive behavioral, co-occurring, and addiction
treatments in addition to supportive residential opportunities to promote recovery and
personal resiliency. Residential mental health wellness and recovery center.
• Action Recovery: Brain Injury Services supports those who have experienced brain
injuries or other long-term diagnoses with specialized medical and residential services.
27. Goodwill Keystone Area
to employment.
• Employment Services are provided to individuals with disabilities and other barriers
• Clubhouse of Lehigh County provides persons with mental illness a safe healing
environment wherein each person is given the opportunity to explore their personal and
vocational potentials to their fullest and receive support in achieving their goals.
28. Ripple Community, Inc.’s Community Building Center is the only day center in
Allentown that is open to the public. While everyone is welcome, they primarily serve
adults who are experiencing homelessness, who are living with mental illness, who have
experienced significant trauma, or have other conditions or experiences that can leave them
isolated and alone.
29. Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR), assists Pennsylvanians with disabilities to
prepare for, obtain, or maintain employment.
15
30. PA CareerLink Lehigh Valley provides employment support and training, connecting
employers and job opportunities with qualified job seekers throughout the Lehigh Valley.
31. Pennsylvania 211 is a free, confidential, non-emergency, comprehensive information and
referral service that connects residents of Lehigh and surrounding counties with the health
and human services they need.
32. Community Correction Center (CCC)
• In addition to classes, there are also numerous support groups, bible studies, a
survivor’s group, 12-step groups, and a book club. Below is the list of classes:
o Conflict Resolution/Stress Management: Center for Humanistic Change (CHC)
Ongoing 3-week class, twice a week.
o Healthy Relationships: CHC. Ongoing 3-week class, twice a week.
o Decision Making: CHC. Ongoing 3-week class, twice a week.
o Employment Readiness: CCC. Ongoing 4-week class, twice a week.
o Intervention: White Deer Run (WDR). Ongoing 4-week class, three times a week.
o Relapse Prevention: CHC. Ongoing 4-week class, twice a week.
o Life Skills: CHC- Ongoing 4-week class, twice a week.
o Creative Writing: Muhlenberg College. Once a week for 10 ten weeks, twice a year.
o Criminality and Impulse Control: CCC. Ongoing once a week for 8 weeks.
o GED: Lehigh Carbon Community College (LCCC). Ongoing, twice a week.
o What’s Next: Ongoing once a week for 6 weeks.
o Inside/Out: Muhlenberg College. Twice a year, once a week for 10 weeks.
o Parenting: CHC. Ongoing once a week for 6 weeks.
16
o Reentry: CHC. Ongoing once a week for 6 weeks.
o Computer Literacy: Indian American Organization. Ongoing once a week for 6
weeks.
o CRS: CoE. Beginning mid-October (specifics TBD)
• The CCC also has a volunteer program in which residents volunteer at various agencies
and events, such as:
o The Caring Place
o The Museum of Indian Culture
o Allentown Victory Church
o Fountain Hill Cemetery
o St. Steven’s Episcopal Church
o Lehigh Valley Active Life
o Nehemiah Wall
o Whitehall Historical Society
o Horses Unplugged
o New Bethany Church
o Lehigh Conference of Churches
o PA Music and Arts
• Center for Humanistic Change provides additional classes:
o Cyber Gambling
o Managing Emotions in a Time of Crisis
o Drug Trends
o Resiliency and the Impact of Trauma
17
o HOPE (opioid crisis)
o Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
• MARS also provides drug and alcohol treatment (Individual and IOP and OP groups)
33. Lehigh County Jail (LCJ) (NOTE: These are interventions normally used before the
pandemic; many of these cannot be used during the COVID-19 pandemic because of the
risk of exposure.) (This list does not include faith-based programs)
PROGRAM
PROGRAM PROVIDER
Alcoholics Anonymous (Men/Women)
AA- Hospitals and Institutions
Anger Management Program (Men/Women)
Center for Humanistic Change
Step by Step
C.A.R.E. (Corrections Assessment Re-entry
Endeavor) for SMI (Series Mental Illness)
inmates; contracted with Step by Step -
providing the following SMI/MH (Mental
Health) services:
1. LTSR
2. Psych. Rehab Services
3. Counseling
Note: Dr. Chaleby of Step by Step is available
for Lehigh County Jail assessments of new
clients.
Certified Peer Specialist Service-Link to MH
and Community services for inmates with
SMI. Referral for support services by LCJ
Case Managers and Prime Care required.
Certified Recovery Specialist Re-entry
Support Program (Men/Women)
Computer Literacy Program (Men/Women)
PeerStar, LLC
Treatment Trend’s Center of Excellence
Indian American Association of the Lehigh Valley
Decision Making Program (Men/Women)
Center for Humanistic Change
Diploma Program (Men/Women)
Allentown School District
Employment Readiness Program
(Men/Women)
LCJ Case Manager
18
English Second Language Program (Men)
Lehigh Carbon Community College
Healthy Relationships Program
(Men/Women)
HiSET (High School Equivalency),
(Men/Women)
Leaving Jail Program-Women’s (Completion
of 5 separate programs: Seeking Safety, Re-
entry, Employment, Thinking for a Change
and Parenting)
Life Skills Program (Men/Women)
Mental Health Program (Selected Males)
Mental Issues Substance Abuse Meeting
(Team MISA)
Narcotics Anonymous (Men/Women)
Center for Humanistic Change
Lehigh Carbon Community College
Pinebrook Family Answers
Center for Humanistic Change
LCJ Case Manager for Special MH Male Housing
Unit
LCJ Case Managers and other County Departments
NA- Hospitals and Institutions
Parenting Program-Men’s
Center for Humanistic Change
Parenting Program-Women’s
Pinebrook Family Answers
Parole Readiness Program (Men/Women)
LCJ Case Manager
Pathway to Recovery-Medically Assisted
Treatment Program (Men/Women)
Recovery in Progress Program (Men/Women) LCJ Case Manager
Treatment Trend’s Center of Excellence
Re-entry Meeting-Lehigh County Jail
(Men/Women)
Relapse Prevention Program (Men/Women)
Center for Humanistic Change
LCJ Case Manager and other County Departments
Re-entry Group Program (Men/Women)
Center for Humanistic Change
Lehigh Valley Hospital affiliated program
“Street Medicine”-Link to survival resources,
medicine and mailing address for the
homeless who agree and sign for services via
Lehigh Valley Hospital program.
Thinking for a Change Program (Women)
VAST Learning & Support Group Program
(Women)
Victim Awareness Program
LCJ Case Manager
Pinebrook Family Answers
Valley Against Sexual Trafficking
19
Women’s Recovery Program
LCJ Case Manager
Yoga (Women)
Amoga
Youthful Offenders Program
LCJ Case Manager
20
This info page is part of the LIT Lab's Form Explorer project. It is not associated with the Pennsylvania state courts. To learn more about the project, check out our about page.
Downloads: You can download both the original form (last checked 2023-03) and the machine-processed form with normalized data fields.
Use our Rate My PDF tool to learn more. Go beyond the above insights and learn more about this or any pdf form at RateMyPDF.com, includes: counts of difficult words used, passive voice decetion, and suggestions for how to make the form more usable.
We have done our best to automaticly identify and name form fields according to our naming conventions. When possible, we've used names tied to our question library. See e.g., user1_name. If we think we've found a match to a question in our library, it is highlighted in green. Novel names are auto generated. So, you will probably need to edit some of them if you're trying to stick to the convention.
Here are the fields we could identify.
unknown__1 was 5423 (0.97 conf)unknown__2 was 5306 (0.35 conf)page_field__1 was page_5_field_2 (0.36 conf)page_field__2 was page_5_field_3 (0.36 conf)unknown__3 was 4853 (0.52 conf)page_field__3 was page_5_field_5 (0.36 conf)page_field__4 was page_5_field_6 (0.36 conf)page_field__5 was page_5_field_7 (0.36 conf)page_field__6 was page_5_field_8 (0.36 conf)unknown__4 was 569 (0.34 conf)page_field__7 was page_5_field_10 (0.36 conf)unknown__5 was 43 (0.29 conf)2015_2020 was 2015_2020 (0.29 conf)unknown__6 was 391 (0.34 conf)unknown__7 was 355 (0.29 conf)sentenced was sentenced (0.38 conf)respectfully_submitted was respectfully_submitted (0.37 conf)page_field__8 was page_14_field_0 (0.31 conf)page_field__9 was page_20_field_0 (0.31 conf)county_criminal_justice was the_lehigh_county_criminal_justice_system (0.34 conf)We've done our best to group similar variables togther to avoid overwhelming the user.
Suggested Screen 0:
unknown__1unknown__2page_field__1page_field__2unknown__3page_field__3page_field__4page_field__5page_field__6unknown__4page_field__7unknown__5unknown__6unknown__7respectfully_submittedpage_field__8page_field__9Suggested Screen 1:
2015_2020Suggested Screen 2:
sentencedSuggested Screen 3:
county_criminal_justiceThe Weaver creates a draft guided interview from a template form, like the one provided here. You can use the link below to open this form in the Weaver. To learn more, read "Weaving" your form into a draft interview.
