The Allegheny County Pretrial Services Department works behind the scenes to provide information and make recommendations to judges who have to make rapid and critical decisions at Motions Court almost every day of the week. Created in 2007 by combining the bail agency and three other programs that work with defendants prior to trial, Pretrial Services has become a national model for how to handle pretrial decision-making in a more consistent and equitable way. This report describes how the Pretrial Service Department was created, how it functions, and the impact it has had on reducing unnecessary arraignment delays and jail stays.

This report was prepared in response to concerns about high levels of street violence, particularly in certain areas of the county, and to support the joint efforts of the Allegheny County Criminal Justice Advisory Board and the Allegheny County Executive’s Public Health Commission on Preventing Violence and Promoting Community Health.  It is the result of interviews with more than 50 practitioners; reviews of local, state and national programs; research on the roots of violence and evidence-based practices that have been effective in combating street violence; and discussions with noted experts in the field of criminal and juvenile justice. It presents recommendations of specific, proven strategies that can reduce street violence in Allegheny County within one to five years.

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An Executive Summary is also available.

Designed to inform local leaders, this report places the issue of homeless youth within a national context and provides information about local need, services and strategies to prevent and address homelessness among Allegheny County’s young adults.

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The high percentage of inmates with mental health and/or substance use issues presents significant challenges to the correctional system. Untreated behavioral health issues contribute to higher rates of recidivism as well as a myriad of other barriers to successful community re-entry. To begin to address these challenges, the Allegheny County Jail Collaborative convened a workgroup to review behavioral health services available in the Allegheny County Jail, identify gaps and challenges, and create “maps” of the service navigation process.

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DHS analyzed data and conducted interviews about the services provided and outcomes achieved by two Allegheny County truancy prevention programs. This report details those activities and provides information about ways in which truancy prevention and intervention efforts could be improved.

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The ACHIEVE after-school program evolved from DHS’s data-sharing agreement with the Pittsburgh Public Schools and was designed as an intervention for under-performing middle school students who were also involved in human services. ACHIEVE ran for two years and had inconsistent results. Overall, it did not result in improved school performance for the participating students.  This brief describes the program and the results, including the challenges faced and lessons learned.

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Community-based Day Reporting Centers have changed the way that offenders on probation are managed in Allegheny County. Centers focus on rehabilitation, offering a one-stop shop of services designed to support successful community re-entry. After being categorized according to their likelihood of re-offending, offenders are either assigned to an administrative caseload (low-risk offenders) or provided a needs assessment that results in an individualized case plan.

Initially faced with challenges such as community concerns and probation officer adjustment, the Day Reporting Centers have been positively received and can point to a number of successes including lower re-booking rates for medium- and high-risk offenders.

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Prepared by: Bruce Barron

This assessment provides information on local immigrant and refugee populations in order to identify current and emerging service needs, gaps and barriers. It includes a set of recommendations for improving their access to services.

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Fiscal Year 2012/2013 saw the implementation of the Human Services Block Grant in Allegheny County, which combined a 10 percent decrease in funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare (now the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services) with greater flexibility in how those funds could be spent. The local planning process included community involvement and an innovative Call for Concepts process.

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Ensuring the safety of victims of domestic violence requires a change in the behavior of those who commit the crime (batterers).  Unfortunately, existing batterer intervention programs are ineffective, at best, and not based upon empirical evidence. In partnership with the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, the Allegheny County Jail and the District Attorney’s office, DHS conducted a review of local programs and best practices, and  identified criteria to improve program quality, consistency and fidelity.  Based upon these criteria, an RFP was issued for implementation of batterer intervention programs in the community and the Allegheny County Jail.  Implementation is currently underway.

Click to read the data brief. 

This report and accompanying video describe the Allegheny County Jail’s Family Support Program, implemented in 2009 as a key strategy of the Allegheny County Jail Collaborative’s Reentry Program

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Click to read the full report. 

In 2011, the Allegheny County Area Agency on Aging, part of the county’s Department of Human Services, embarked on an effort to improve the quality of its Options Care Management program. The Options Care Management program provides support to more than 5,000 non-Medicaid-eligible individuals, age 60 and older, so that they may continue living in their own homes.

This report, prepared one year after the transition to the new care management model, reflects on how the AAA staff succeeded in completing this ambitious undertaking and suggests lessons for others pursuing a similar transformation.

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These narratives describe the experiences of individuals who participated in the Allegheny County Jail Reentry Program.

Stories of Transition – Part I
Stories of Transition – Part II 

Although prenatal drug/alcohol exposure cases accounted for less than two percent of child welfare referrals in Allegheny County, this exposure can have significant health and developmental consequences. More than one in four newborns were re-referred to child welfare at least once before the end of 2011; early intervention is critical to avoid a repeat referral and to address the physical and developmental needs of the child.

Click here to view the full data brief.