Media Resources
A Look at Pennsylvania’s Mental Health Courts
In recognition of May as Mental Health Awareness Month, the Pennsylvania courts today released an infographic highlighting data related to the state’s mental health courts. In 2018, 64 percent of all discharged participants graduated successfully from these treatment programs and among those graduates, there was a 181 percent increase in employment.
Distracted driving citations in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania distracted driving citations decreased by 10 percent statewide from 2018 to 2019. Distracted driving citations in Pennsylvania can be issued for 1) using headphones while driving, 2) using a handheld mobile phone while driving a commercial vehicle or 3) texting while driving. Texting includes sending, reading or writing a text-based message.
Cracking Down on Human Trafficking in Pennsylvania
In the first five years since Pennsylvania’s first comprehensive human-trafficking law (Act 105) took effect in 2014, 586 human-trafficking offenses were charged. The infographic below highlights key court data including the total number of human-trafficking cases and offenses over the last five years, defendant demographics and the top 10 counties with the highest number human-trafficking cases.
Pennsylvania cybercrime – by the numbers
Between 2014 and 2018, there were 799 cybercrime offenses committed by 287 people in Pennsylvania. The top convictions for cybercrime offenses are making or forcing someone to participate in online child pornography and unlawful use of a computer – which could include accessing or altering computer data, providing passwords without authorization, etc.
Pennsylvania’s Veterans Treatment Courts Make a Difference for Veterans
Pennsylvania’s veteran population ranks fourth in the U.S. with 793,321 veterans as of 2018. Since 2009, Pennsylvania’s Veterans Treatment Courts have been assisting veterans who are charged with crimes and are struggling with addiction, mental illness or co-occurring disorders.
A closer look at Protection from Abuse Orders in Pennsylvania
More than 39,000 new protection from abuse (PFA) petitions were filed statewide in 2018 according to the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts. A PFA is a civil order that protects victims of domestic violence, providing relief from abuse by an intimate partner, family or household member.