From 1980 to 2010 the Department of Corrections budget increased by more than 1700%, from 94 million to 1.7 billion. During the same period, the prison population swelled from 8,243 to 51,321. Clearly, something is not working! We are over incarcerating individuals in the state of PA. We are erroneously placing individuals in prison who would be better served addressing their needs in the community. Individuals can learn how to access community resources within the community, obtain employment prior to release, have a savings upon release, and maintain family ties. Please join us in letting our politicians know we are tired of throwing not only our money away, but individuals as well. We strongly urge you to make Alternative Sentencing for Women with Non-Violent Offenses a policy in the state of PA.