Background

In 2007, eyes around the nation turned to Luzerne Country, PA, when the Juvenile Law Center (JLC) began investigating reports from youth and their families of harsh –and illegal– treatment during the adjudication process.

In what has been widely acknowledged as the worst juvenile justice scandal in US history, JLC investigators uncovered wide-spread pervasive greed and corruption by dozens of county officials at the expense of vulnerable young people and their families. JLC’s attorneys sought intervention from the PA Supreme Court, which ultimately intervened on the youths’ behalf. Read More>

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Luzerne County Juvenile Justice Victim Response Task Force

Luzerne County Juvenile Justice Victim Response Task Force

written on May 31st, 2009 with no comments

This month, the PA Office of the Victim Advocate (OVA) convened state and county level stakeholders, including MHAPA’s Child Policy Coordinator Wendy Luckenbill, to form the Luzerne County Juvenile Justice Victim Response Task Force. The group will plan and coordinate services to victims; identify community, system and individual needs; secure resources to meet those needs; and keep members current on developing legal issues.

The target populations of victims addressed by the Task Force include the juveniles and their families, the original victims of crimes for which the juveniles were adjudicated, Luzerne County citizens, and professionals working within those systems.

A complete list of the members of the Task Force is here. The Task Force will meet monthly, and we will report about key outcomes of these meetings on this site.

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