Lancaster County’s Sheriff and District Attorney are continuing a project to educate those served with protection-from-abuse orders and ultimately decrease illegal reactions to the orders.

District Attorney Heather Adams recently provided Sheriff Chris Leppler’s office with 1,000 additional brochures that explain what a person can and cannot do after being served with a PFA.

Deputy sheriffs will provide the brochures upon service of PFA orders. Deputies began distributing the brochures in 2017.

Last year, 988 people petitioned in Lancaster County Court for a PFA order. There were 105 violations of PFAs in 2019, according to the office of Bail Administration.

A violation – such as contacting the protected person directly or through a third-party - can land an offender in prison.

“A protection-from-abuse order creates emotional and potentially volatile circumstances for all involved,” District Attorney Heather Adams said. “The brochures provide information to individuals unfamiliar with what the order legally means.

“The goal is to decrease unreasonable response.”

The pamphlets outline a person’s legal rights and available resources to help navigate the process.

The District Attorney’s Office handles the pamphlets’ production, seeing them as a crime-prevention tool that could ultimately save lives.

The District Attorney’s Office credits Sheriff Leppler and the Lancaster County Judges for their collaboration on the project.

MEDIA CONTACT: Brett A. Hambright, 717-295-2041; bhambright@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @BrettHambright