Is it possible to reduce crime while locking up fewer people? 10 years ago, many would have answered no. But Pennsylvania has proven that public safety and prison reform can work hand-in-hand.

This year, Pennsylvania’s prison population dropped by nearly 1,500, according to new Department of Corrections numbers— the sharpest decline ever recorded. We’re locking up 5,637 fewer individuals than in 2013. At the same time, our crime rate has dramatically decreased.

The cause of this success? Smart justice reform.

According to the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing, the number of criminal sentences in Pennsylvania has declined almost every year since 2012 when the Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI) was enacted with bipartisan majorities. JRI established a smarter sentencing process along with other reforms that addressed overincarceration while preserving public safety. The reforms made clear that disproportionately long sentences for nonviolent offenses can be counterproductive, feeding a cycle of criminality rather than combatting it.

We now know we can be both tough and smart on crime. That’s why, in December, state lawmakers from both parties united to build on this success. They passed, and Gov. Wolf signed, reforms sponsored by Sen. Lisa Baker and Sen. Tom Killion that are part of the second phase of justice reinvestment.

These new laws provide better access to drug treatment, improve the parole process for non-violent short-term offenders and direct correctional resources where they are most needed.

This type of smarter spending creates safer communities: the savings from lower incarceration rates bolster county probation departments and ensure that sentencing practices are based on current data. It’s important to give our state officials the tools they need to make good sentencing decisions and rehabilitate those on probation. The reforms are projected to reduce corrections costs by $45 million annually, funds which will then be used to ensure violent offenders are kept of the streets.

Now, it’s time for lawmakers to focus on those who are returning to their communities by passing occupational licensing reform and probation reform.

It’s hard enough for those just out of prison to get a job, but often Pennsylvania’s licensing requirements make it even harder. Some occupations like hairdressing have vague, arbitrary restrictions on who can be licensed, preventing the formerly incarcerated from getting these jobs. Because jobs are a proven way to prevent recidivism, these licensing restrictions are counter-productive.

Probation reform is also a necessity. Though the state's prison population has decreased, the population of individuals on probation has remained the fifth highest in the nation. Technical violations of probation requirements account for nearly one-quarter of prison admissions.

The way probation is currently structured in Pennsylvania, minor offenses can turn into long cycles of incarceration. That’s why two-thirds of Pennsylvania voters, including 60 percent of Republicans, favor legislation that would reduce probation times and reincarceration for minor technical violations, according to polling commissioned by the REFORM Alliance.

The goal of our justice system must be to make our commonwealth safe and to help those who have served their time to become good citizens and neighbors again. Thankfully, we’re taking great strides in the right direction. The next step is removing barriers in our probation and occupational licensing laws that prevent former inmates from finding work and becoming independent. Smart reforms like these will also keep our communities safer.

Steve Bloom is vice president of the Commonwealth Foundation (CommonwealthFoundation.org), Pennsylvania’s free market think tank. Pocono Record ’My Turn’ columns highlight voices from Monroe County and beyond. Submit your ideas for consideration to letters@poconorecord.com.