Department of Corrections Secretary John Wetzel was the featured speaker at the November Pennsylvania Press Club luncheon held Monday afternoon where he spoke on topics related to the need to incorporate more data in criminal justice policymaking, the Justice Reinvestment Initiative, and the opioid crisis.

Following up on the success of the first rendition of the Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI), Pennsylvania is now the only state in the nation to be selected to participate in the data-driven second part of the criminal justice reform program leaders from both parties in all three branches of government announced Thursday.