Lycoming County 

Background

For decades, Lycoming County, along with the rest of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, has faced many challenges around incarceration and public safety. Lycoming County’s high recidivism rate, prison overcrowding, and over-exhausted correctional budget was threatening public safety and costing taxpayers. To combat the overpopulated prison, Lycoming County was in discussion to build a new county prison with a $40 million price tag.

The Approach

Instead of building the costly prison, the County implemented an electronic monitoring program, enabling the County’s court and agency to release individuals to community supervision. Electronic monitoring allows individuals to live their lives, support their families, and contribute to the community, all while meeting conditions of release. In turn, with the support of these innovative tools, fewer individuals are packing the prison system, which saves taxpayers dollars and helps enhance public safety.

Since 2015, the Lycoming County Prison saved 73,496 days; at $70 per day, per inmate, that is over $5.1 million in savings.

Results

* Based on days served monitoring services by all processed clients.

** Based on data provided by the Lycoming County Adult Probation Office. 

*** Based on the actual operating costs of electronic monitoring services versus the cost of incarceration.

"Reentry programs with electronic monitoring are working, and they are far less costly than incarceration."- Brad Shoemaker, Lycoming County Prison Warden