Allegheny County, June 13, 2024 – Today, Sen. Wayne Fontana announced that Allegheny County and two other nonprofit organizations were awarded a total of $2,126,464 in state and federal grants from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD).
“This money will go towards the improvements we’re making in our criminal justice system through fair representation, thoughtful sentencing, and violence prevention,” Fontana said. “We can already see the fruits of this kind of investment in our neighborhoods and communities.”
“In particular, I am proud that Pennsylvania is finally providing funding for indigent defense. The Sixth Amendment guarantees everybody the right to legal defense in court, but Pennsylvania was one of only two states to not fund representation for persons unable to afford it. We righted this wrong by including $7.5 million in formula-based grants in the 2023-24 state budget,” Fontana said.
During its June 12 meeting, the PCCD approved grant awards from multiple funding programs totaling about $32 million to organizations and governments across the commonwealth.
The grant awardees in Allegheny County:
- Allegheny County receives three grants, $1.4 million from the Intermediate Punishment Treatment Program for Restrictive Probation and Treatment Courts, $251,937 from the Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Funds for prompt drug analysis and accreditation enhancement efforts, and $124,527 from the newly-established state program that funds Indigent Defense.
- Foundation of HOPE on the Northside receives $250,000 from the State Substance Abuse Education and Demand Reduction Funds for its HOPE for the Future program.
- Amachi Pittsburgh, headquartered Downtown, receives $100,000 in State Violence and Delinquency Prevention Program funds for a Youth Justice Advisory Board Council pilot.
More information on the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency can be found here.
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