Since October, the Interbranch Commission has been holding public hearings to, as Judge John M. Cleland, Commission Chair, said in his opening remarks, “…assess the breathtaking collapse of the juvenile justice system in Luzerne County.”
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>