Members of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) approved more than $42 million in state and federal grants to strengthen public safety by supporting gun violence victims, preventing youth substance abuse, enhancing county probation services, and improving security for nonprofits at risk of hate‑motivated attacks.
“The actions taken highlight our continued work to improve public safety and strengthen communities statewide,” said Kirsten Kenyon, PCCD Executive Director. “We continued to invest in services for gun violence victims in Philadelphia, provided record‑level state support to county probation departments, and provided our third round of state assistance for indigent defense. Our agency remains steadfast in its mission to enhance safety and reduce violence for all Pennsylvanians.”
“Kingsessing Heals Community Resilience Center is grateful for the continued partnership and investment of PCCD,” said Tim Massaquoi, LPC, Executive Director, Kingsessing Heals Community Resilience Center. “Their support enables us to deliver critical mental health and wellness services directly to the communities we serve — ensuring that those most impacted by gun violence have access to the care, healing, and resilience-building resources they deserve.”
The approved $42.5 million in grant funding includes:
- $500,000 to ICF to continue the development of the Resources for Victims of Gun Violence Initiative and Philadelphia Hope and Healing Center pilot program announced by Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis in June 2023.
- $925,000 to the Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia for the Kingsessing Heals Community Resiliency Center, which was established in the wake of the mass shooting in Kingsessing in July 2023. The Resiliency Center is an effort to support the healing of emotional wounds inflicted by the attack and to ensure identification of needed financial support for the physical healing of victims with long-term needs.
- $6.75 million for counties to improve the capacity and effectiveness of indigent defense services in Pennsylvania through efforts to recruit and retain staff; improve data collection and reporting capacity; obtain necessary training, professional development, and technical assistance; and fill any other gaps identified by the county, in consultation with indigent defense service providers. With previous iterations of this funding, counties have used it to address workforce needs, adding nearly 40 new attorney and support staff positions throughout the Commonwealth, and have made significant investments in technology to improve case management systems.
- $20.6 million in Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI-2) savings to county probation and parole departments, to support county probation services and the implementation of comprehensive Act 44 of 2023 reforms. The Shapiro-Davis Administration’s proposed FY26-27 budget builds on this investment by creating the County Probation and Reentry Services block grant program, which will combine these JRI-2 savings with other available state funding to streamline resources, reduce administrative costs, and improve service delivery.
- $2 million to support Medically Assisted Treatment services to individuals sentenced to county jail supervision with opioid treatment needs.
- $10.8 million in Nonprofit Security Grants to support physical security improvements for nonprofit organizations susceptible to, or targeted for, hate crimes.
- $650,000 to enhance a statewide, anti-substance abuse messaging campaign for youth impacted by opioid addition, as well as advancing prevention strategies to mitigate future harm.
