Gov. Tom Wolf Announces Effort to Overhaul Juvenile Justice in Pennsylvania
Reducing the number of youth placed in juvenile-justice programs has long been a goal of advocates. A recent report from Juvenile Law Center, which is suing Glen Mills on behalf of abuse victims, showed that the majority of local youths were sent to programs not for violence, but for minor infractions such as skipping school or violating curfew.
Jessica Feierman, senior managing director of Juvenile Law Center, said she hoped Wolf appointed young people and people of color to the task force.
“We are hopeful that the Juvenile Justice Task Force will lead to a real and meaningful transformation of our youth justice system, and in particular to reforms that will limit incarceration and keep young people in their homes and communities,” Feierman said.