ABOUT IPP

In 1991, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania enacted Act 1990-193, the Intermediate Punishment Act. The Act was later replaced with Act 2000-41. This Act established rules and regulations for the counties in Pennsylvania to develop alternative sentencing for use by the common plea’s courts and district justices.

In November of 1991, under the authority of the Mercer County Prison Board, Mercer County's Intermediate Punishment Plan was submitted to and approved by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. Once approved, Mercer County was authorized to establish an Intermediate Punishment Program. Beginning in June 1992, the program was initiated with the appointment of the IPP Coordinator. Programs were developed to provide alternatives to traditional sentences of incarceration and probation for non-violent offenders who do not pose a threat to society. Intermediate punishment allows offenders to remain in the community while serving their sentences and repaying their debt to society.

In December 2019, Act 115 of 2019 replaced County Intermediate Punishment (CIP) as a sentencing option with an Order of Probation, for which restrictive conditions may be imposed.

Goals and Objectives:

The following goals and objectives have been targeted by Mercer County and are aimed at producing an effective utilization of existing and projected correctional resources:

To provide less restrictive and expensive sentencing options to the Mercer County Courts while maintaining public safety.

To provide an alternative to the Court for sentencing eligible offenders to community-based sanctions thereby reserving jail cells for the more serious offenders.

To reduce the jail overcrowding in Mercer County through the use of alternative community-based programs in lieu of incarceration.

To aid in the rehabilitative process of the defendants by creating a record of demonstrated performance in a structured environment.

To reduce County expenditures for defendants housed in out-of-county facilities.

To promote accountability of offenders to their local community.