An Act amending Title 61 (Prisons and Parole) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in general administration relating to correctional institutions, providing for residency of corrections officer . . .s.
Summary
SB111 amends Title 61 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes to create a specific residency rule for corrections officers at state correctional institutions. The bill allows the Department of Corrections to hire or promote a corrections officer who lives outside Pennsylvania, notwithstanding the general civil service residency-related examination rule referenced in existing law.
At the same time, the bill gives Pennsylvania residents a hiring and promotion preference. For applicants or promotion candidates who are Commonwealth residents, the bill requires an additional five points to be added to the final examination score used to determine standing on certified eligibility lists for corrections officer positions at state correctional institutions. The act takes effect 60 days after enactment.
Impact
The bill would modify state personnel and corrections law by creating a new section in Title 61 governing residency for corrections officers. It does not eliminate residency preference entirely; instead, it opens the applicant pool to out-of-state candidates while preserving a scoring advantage for Pennsylvania residents in both hiring and promotion. The practical effect is to broaden recruitment options for the Department of Corrections while still favoring in-state applicants in the civil service selection process.
Sentiment
The available voting history shows strong, unanimous support in the Senate, with committee votes of 13-0 and 22-0 and final passage on the Senate floor by a 50-0 vote. No committee transcript excerpts are available, but the recorded votes suggest the bill was broadly viewed as noncontroversial and administratively focused. The lack of recorded opposition indicates general agreement on the need to expand the corrections officer hiring pool while maintaining a resident preference.
Contention
No substantive opposition is reflected in the available materials. The only policy balance evident in the bill is between two interests: allowing the Department of Corrections to recruit from outside Pennsylvania to address staffing needs, and preserving a five-point preference for Commonwealth residents to protect in-state employment opportunities. Because the bill passed unanimously at each recorded stage, any disagreement appears to have been minimal or resolved before formal votes.
In sentencing, further providing for sentences for second and subsequent offenses; and, in Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole, further providing for parole power.