Harrisburg, PA – This week, members of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) approved more than $21 million in state and federal grants to make communities safer, support victims of crime, reduce youth violence and substance use, and support individuals in county jails with life-saving treatment to overcome opioid and substance use disorders.
“This approved funding represents meaningful investments in safer, healthier communities across Pennsylvania,” said Kirsten Kenyon, PCCD Executive Director. “From expanding services for child victims of sexual abuse and resources for victims of gun violence, to supporting youth violence prevention and improving access to treatment for individuals with substance use disorders, these funds will positively impact communities all across our Commonwealth.”
“Children’s Advocacy Centers and victim service programs are critical lifelines for children who have experienced abuse or trauma,” said Chris Kirchner, Chair of PCCD’s Children’s Advocacy Center Advisory Committee. “The funding approved this week by the Commission is an investment in healthier futures for Pennsylvania children so that no child has to face their trauma alone, and they can receive the help they need to heal.”
“Investing in youth prevention programs can save lives and help build safer, stronger communities across Pennsylvania,” said Senior Judge Kim Berkeley Clark, Chair of PCCD’s Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Committee. “This newly approved funding—which continues support for the Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS), substance use awareness education, and youth violence and delinquency prevention programming—will help support and implement programs that reach young people who need it most and provide critical support to help them thrive.”
Approved funding includes:
Over $2.7 million in State Endowment Act Funds for Children’s Advocacy Centers and victim service programs to provide direct services to child victims of sexual abuse.
$1.5 million to ICF to continue support for the Resources for Victims of Gun Violence Initiative and Philadelphia Hope and Healing Center pilot program announced by PCCD chair, Lt. Governor Austin Davis, in June 2023.
Nearly $5 million in State Violence and Delinquency Prevention Program Fund to support state and local projects aligned with Pennsylvania’s 2025 Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Plan and PCCD’s 2026–2030 Strategic Framework. Funding aims to strengthen community-based strategies that prevent youth violence and delinquency, expand diversion opportunities, and support successful reentry.
Nearly $3 million in state Act 80 Funds to support MAT for individuals sentenced to county jail supervision with a substance use or opioid use disorder.
Almost $1 million in state Substance Abuse Education and Demand Reduction (SAEDR) to support projects designed to educate the public about the dangers of substance use.
The Commission also took action to approve PCCD’s 2025 federal Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program (SCIP) Plan, focused on reducing firearm suicides, equipping communities with training and resources to respond holistically to behavioral health crises through models like Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT), and advancing local strategies that prevent domestic violence and intimate partner homicides and empower survivors across Pennsylvania.
Additionally, the Commission approved updates to PCCD’s Operating Standards for County Adult Probation and Parole Departments with person-first language and replaced the term “offender” with “individual” in all county adult probation and parole department policies and court-related documents. The Commission also approved updates to the standards governing the basic training required for school resource officers, school police officers, and school security guards prior to their assignment in a school setting. This action fulfills a mandate established under Act 47 of 2025.
More information about the actions approved at the Commission meeting can be found on PCCD’s website.