Jail Collaborative
The Allegheny County Jail Collaborative (ACJC) continues to build upon and improve strategies that decrease the population of the Allegheny County Jail (ACJ) and reduce recidivism by helping formerly incarcerated people make a successful transition back to their community. DHS has invested millions of dollars in programs, both within ACJ and in the community, designed to reduce recidivism and improve outcomes for people leaving ACJ.
ACJC, with representatives from DHS, ACJ and the Fifth Judicial District (including Court Administration, Probation and Pretrial Services), meets on a monthly basis and has expanded its focus as other issues have come to its attention. It has pursued its mission, since 2000, with ongoing collaboration with other government agencies, court officials, service providers, incarcerated individuals, faith-based community organizations, families and the community at large.
Accomplishments
Pre-Arrangement Diversion
In late 2025 ACJC launched the Allegheny County Pre-Arrangement Diversion (PAD) program, designed to avoid incarceration for individuals charged with a crime who have certain issues that may be more appropriately addressed through community services and support. Diversion coordinators screen individuals at jail intake for mental health, substance use and/or physical health concerns. When they identify someone who meets the criteria for PAD, they create a “diversion plan” that provides Magisterial District Judges with the choice of connecting the individual to peer support and community-based services such as shelter and treatment, instead of booking them into the jail. This plan is presented at the individual’s bail hearing before a Magisterial District Judge, who decides if PAD is appropriate.
PAD is an effective way to safely reduce the jail population-and by receiving treatment and supports instead of jail time, eligible individuals get the help they need and avoid the negative long-term impact of incarceration.
Allegheny County Jail Reentry Program
The ACJ Reentry Program, the flagship program of the ACJC, was independently studied in its early years and recognized nationally for its strong outcomes. Unfortunately, the staffing and service disruptions caused by the COVID-19 epidemic resulted in many offenders leaving ACJ without access to necessary community supports. Improvements to the Reentry Program represent a recommitment to supporting people while in jail and improving outcomes (e.g., reduced recidivism, improved quality of life) for those who are released. The ACJC is also ensuring the success of the program by using data to track recidivism, behavioral and physical health crises, homelessness and mortality.
For incarcerated people with opioid use disorders, treatment that continues uninterrupted when they return to the community can be the key to successful reentry. Medication for Opiate Use Disorder (MOUD) is the gold standard for treatment, and the 2025 opening of a licensed Opioid Treatment Medication Unit in ACJ means that incarcerated people now have access to the full range of MOUD, including methadone induction that allows them to begin methadone treatment even if they did not have a prior prescription. Anyone receiving MOUD is connected to a community provider referred to reentry peer support upon release.
Allegheny County maintains a public dashboard tracking MOUD treatment at ACJ.
Mobile Competency Restoration and Support Team
The 2025 launch of the Mobile Competency Restoration and Support Team (MCRST) reduces jail time for individuals found not competent to stand trial due to serious mental illness, cognitive delays, or conditions like dementia that prevent them from understanding court proceedings or assisting in their defense. Once someone is found not competent, they remain in ACJ until their competency is restored or alternative solutions are in place. Until MCRST, the only option was staying in the jail while waiting for an available bed at Torrance State Hospital, a state-operated facility with limited capacity and long waiting lists. In 2024, individuals committed to Torrance for competency restoration waited in ACJ an average of 81 days, even though almost half (49%) had only been charged with a misdemeanor.
MCRST, the only mobile competency restoration team in Pennsylvania that offers both clinical treatment and psychoeducational support in a community-based model, provides a less restrictive and faster alternative that gives individuals the care and respect they deserve.
More information about the ACJC and community reintegration programs, including annual reports, evaluations and reports about various program components, can be found on Allegheny County Analytics.