ACJC 2026 Strategic Plan
The Allegheny County Jail Collaborative (ACJC) is an alliance of government agencies and nonprofit groups dedicated to improving community safety and reducing recidivism by providing evidence-based, quality programs and services that increase positive outcomes and successful community reentry for people in the Allegheny County Jail (ACJ).
The ACJC supports strategic vision setting, gap analysis, program development and monitoring of key initiatives within the Jail, as well as cross-system improvement efforts related to diversion and post-release interventions. Many community and specialty providers and/or volunteer organizations offer in-Jail and community-based programs and services; together, these form a continuum of support designed to create a positive learning environment for people while in the Jail and—for many—when they return to their community.
The Allegheny County Department of Human Services (ACDHS) invites you to explore these resources to learn about the ACJC and its efforts to improve services, supports and outcomes for everyone in the ACJ and those who continue to receive support to ensure successful reentry.
Background
For more than 25 years, the ACJC has influenced system change and implemented evidence-based programming to achieve its mission of increasing community safety and reducing recidivism for people involved in the criminal-legal system in Allegheny County. Over the years, ACDHS, the Fifth Judicial District including Adult Probation and Pretrial Services, and the ACJ have supported the work of the ACJC with funding from sources including ACDHS, local and national foundations, and federal and state grants.
A revisioning process, based on years of experience, research, expert and community input, and current realities about the criminal-legal system led to the development of the 2026 ACJC Strategic Plan (PDF, 200KB). We hope you will read this report and refer to the wealth of information about the ACJC available at Allegheny County Analytics.
Key Takeaways
- Booking and Release Rates: An average of 40-50% of individuals brought to the jail are booked; the rest are released to the community pending resolution of their case
- Average Daily Jail Population: From July 8, 2023 through July 6, 2026, the ACJ held an average of 1,904 individuals each day.
- Booking Status of Individuals: Only a small percentage of the ACJ population is serving a sentence.
- 47% are awaiting trial
- 36% are being held on a County or PA probation detainer, meaning they are alleged to have violated terms of their probation
- Negative Consequences of Incarceration: According to the Harvard Kennedy School Program in Criminal Justice Policy and Management, even one day in jail can have devastating negative consequences and result in poor outcomes on a wide range of measures.
- This highlights the importance of doing everything possible to avoid delays in case processing and to provide opportunities for training, education, programming, behavioral health treatment and supportive transition back into the community for everyone in the ACJ, regardless of their length of stay.
- 2026 ACJC Strategic Priorities: The 2026 ACJC Strategic Plan focuses on the following priorities:
- Diversion and Front-End Supports to safely reduce the ACJ population and the length of time in ACJ for those who are awaiting hearings, competency restoration or sentencing
- Programming and Service Coordination based on individual need, length of stay and risk of return
- Transition and Release Coordination to support smooth exit transition for everyone entering the ACJ
- ACJC Expenditures: In Fiscal Year 2025-2026, ACDHS spent more than $11 million on ACJC administration, programming and provider contracts.
Resources
On this page you will find resources spanning almost 20 years, with information about ACJC programs, strategies and evaluations.
Dashboard
Allegheny County Jail Population Management Dashboard
Strategic and Annual Plans
Allegheny County Jail Collaborative 2016-2019 Strategic Plan (PDF, 800KB)
Allegheny County Jail Collaborative Annual Report: 2018-2019 (PDF, 800KB)
Allegheny County Jail Collaborative Annual Report, 2017-2018 (PDF, 900KB)
Allegheny County Jail Collaborative Annual Report: 2016-2017 (PDF, 900KB)
Allegheny County Jail Collaborative Annual Report: 2012-2013 (PDF, 200KB)
Allegheny County Jail Collaborative Annual Report: 2011-2012 (PDF, 50KB)
Allegheny County Jail Collaborative Annual Report: 2010-2011 (PDF, 60KB)
Analytics and Narrative Reports
Data Brief: Behavioral Health Services in the Allegheny County Jail 2014 (PDF, 2.5MB)
Evaluations
How We Use This Information
Data-informed decision making continues to drive the ACJC’s focus and strategic planning. ACDHS and the ACJC will use dashboards and evaluations to monitor outcomes and drive system improvement.
What’s Next
Monitoring the progress and focus of the ACJC, the impact of its strategies on the ACJ and Allegheny County populations, and the fiscal and societal impact of its work remain an ongoing priority of both ACDHS and the ACJC.
Questions or Feedback?
We welcome your questions and suggestions. To share feedback, you can reach us at DHSResearch@alleghenycounty.us. If you’d like to stay informed, consider signing up for our newsletter. To learn how to use DHS data in your research, please visit our Requesting Data page. Thank you for your time and interest. Your engagement helps shape and improve how we share data that matters.
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