News & Events

Surveys: Spend more on treatment for young offenders

The Reading Eagle
December 11, 2007
By Holly Herman

The lock-'em-up-and-throwaway-the-key approach to juvenile justice that developed in the 1990s in many states isn't working, according to the results of two surveys.

"Solid research shows that juvenile rehabilitation helps kids and protects society to a much greater degree than punitive measures," said Berks County President Judge Arthur E. Grim, chairman of the Pennsylvania Juvenile Judges Commission. "The majority of Pennsylvanians want to spend more on rehabilitation of juvenile offenders."

The results of two separate surveys released Monday show that the public is willing to spend more tax money on providing treatment to juveniles accused of crimes.

The surveys were conducted as a part of a $120 million grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Chicago, for the Models for Change Project on juvenile justice reform.

Pennsylvania was one of four states chosen for the project because of its large Latino population and its progressive approach toward juvenile justice.

Grim said he would like to see increased funding for community-based treatment programs as opposed to prison programs. The state does not have a breakdown of costs for each program.

"There is a huge percentage of Pennsylvanians who agree that the rehabilitation and treatment programs work well," said Grim, a renowned expert in juvenile justice issues who plans to retire at the end of the year. He will work part time as a senior judge.

Grim said he has worked closely with the organizations that have conducted research to prove that brains of juveniles do not mature until they are in their 20s.

Chief Juvenile Probation Officer Robert N. Williams said Berks has been at forefront of implementing home-based treatment programs.

A new program, called "Multisystemic Therapy," initiated in August provides intensive family treatment in the home as opposed to sending a juvenile to a facility.

"This is a very exciting program," Williams said. "Treating kids in the community helps save money and is a better approach."

In Pennsylvania, the telephone survey asked 300 adults whether they prefer rehabilitation or punishment for juvenile offenders.

The results showed that 90 percent, or 270 respondents, believe youths have the ability to change. It also shows that 80 percent, or 240, prefer reallocating money from incarceration programs to treatment programs.

A separate study showed that people would rather pay for juvenile rehabilitation than imprisoning the offender.

"Momentum is gathering across the nation to replace the harsh, ineffective measures enacted over the last two decades with programs that address the welfare of young people while preserving the communities," said Jonathan Fanton, president of the MacArthur Foundation.

Grim said Pennsylvania has a progressive law on how best to deal with juveniles who commit serious crimes.

In 1996, Pennsylvania expanded the law, allowing prosecutors to charge juveniles 15 and older as adults for felony crimes, including attempted murder, rape and robbery. Previously, murder was the only charge that a juvenile could be charged as an adult.

The law has a safeguard to protect the defendants because their lawyers can ask to have the case returned back to juvenile court.

"This law is crafted so well that if a kid commits a deadly offense it can be directly filed in adult court," Grim said.

About a dozen teens are prosecuted each year as adults, officials said.

Grim, meanwhile, said he has testified in hearings in other states about raising the ages for treating juvenile offenders.

Contact reporter Holly Herman at 610-478-6291 or hherman@readingeagle.com.