Report: Mending the Safety Net – Why Pennsylvania Must Restore Its TANF Program to Protect Its Neediest Families

Today we observe the passage of “welfare reform” on August 22, 1996, which “ended welfare as we know it” and created the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.  Far from a success, this program has eviscerated needed direct financial assistance for struggling families. As we wrote in 2016, the program is helping far fewer…

Report: Legal Remedies and Limitations on the Employment of People with Criminal Records in Pennsylvania

Download the full report Like most Americans, people with criminal records need to be employed to support themselves and their families. Unfortunately, a criminal record is a barrier to being hired for a job, or once hired, keeping the job. High unemployment rates make finding employment even more difficult for persons with criminal records.  …

Careless: How the Pennsylvania Department of Health Has Risked the Lives of Elderly and Disabled Nursing Home Residents

The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) has been failing in its job to protect nursing home residents.  Over the past several years, DOH has significantly decreased the issuance of sanctions against nursing homes and has adopted and employed an investigatory strategy that dismisses 92% of the complaints against nursing homes.  Additionally, when DOH finds that…