Gant Daily
HARRISBURG — In April of 2012, Pennsylvania’s Office of Victim Advocate began a coordinated program with the Department of Corrections called the Inmate Accountability Bank (IAB). Renamed recently to the Inmate Apology Bank, the voluntary program provides an avenue by which crime victims can receive an apology from their offender without having direct contact.
“As of August 2013, the IAB has 537 inmate apology letters submitted and 96 crime victims registered with the program,” Corrections Secretary John Wetzel said. “By registering, the victims are expressing interest in receiving a letter if one is submitted by the offender. Twenty-six registered victims have received an apology letter.”
Prison officials, along with employees of the OVA, work to educate inmates about the program and how to go about writing their letters. Inmates may write to the program, where OVA staff screen the letters for appropriateness and then file them until a registered crime victim indicates that they are interested in receiving letters from their offender. The correspondence is one way – from the inmate to the crime victim.
Full story: DOC and OVA Partner on Inmate Apology Bank