FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 3, 2017
Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency Celebrates
Juvenile Justice Week in Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, PA. — October 1 through 7, 2017 has been officially proclaimed as
Juvenile Justice Week in Pennsylvania by Governor Tom Wolf.
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention (OJJDP) at the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency
(PCCD) plays a key role in supporting the juvenile justice system, and PCCD
Chairman Charles Ramsey expressed his pleasure that the Governor has recognized
its’ successes.
“Beginning in the mid-1990s and continuing to
the present day, the juvenile justice system has undergone a series of key
reforms that have spurred system-wide success,” Chairman Ramsey said. “Pennsylvania has long been recognized as a
national leader in juvenile justice policy and practice, and I am proud that
PCCD is part of this great effort.”
Under the joint leadership and partnership of
the OJJDP, the Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission (JCJC) and the PA Council of
Chief Juvenile Probation Officers, other state and county stakeholders and
local providers, the juvenile justice system has embraced the policy of ‘balanced
and restorative justice,’ which focuses on the juvenile offender, the victim
and the community, with an eye to making the victim whole again.
In addition, the system has promoted the
increased use of evidence-based programs and practices in the juvenile justice
system and in delinquency prevention for at-risk youth. As a result, recidivism rates, juvenile
delinquency placements, and juvenile secure detention admissions have all
significantly decreased since 2010. This translates not only for greater public
safety for the state, but taxpayer savings as well.
“Pennsylvania continues as a national leader in juvenile
justice system reform, and our outcome measures increasingly reflect this
success on a yearly basis,” JCJC Executive Director Rick Steele said. “It
is an honor to celebrate these accomplishments with our system stakeholders,
all of whom play a critical role in these accomplishments.”
For more information about the juvenile justice
system, the Juvenile Justice System Enhancement Strategy (JJSES) and a copy of
the Pennsylvania Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Plan submitted to
Governor Wolf by the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Committee on
behalf of PCCD, please visit the PCCD website and JCJC website.
Our Mission is to
enhance the quality, coordination and planning within the criminal and juvenile
justice systems, to facilitate the delivery of services to victims of crime,
and to increase the safety of our communities.
MEDIA CONTACT: Kirsten Kenyon, (717) 265-8505
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