READING, March 13 – House Judiciary Committee Chairman Thomas Caltagirone, D-Berks, and state Sen. Judy Schwank announced the approval of more than $30,000 in grants by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency to improve the juvenile justice system in Berks County.
Caltagirone, who serves on the PCCD board, said: “These grants will help Berks County Courts handle juvenile criminal cases quickly and smoothly because the offices will have appropriate staff to accommodate case loads.
“Ultimately, this makes the court system more accountable to the public and more effective in rehabilitating troubled children,” Caltagirone continued. “It also eliminates unnecessary and costly courtroom appearances and backlogs. It’s important to remember that when we let children get lost in the criminal justice system, in the long run, no one benefits.”
“The court system is critical to maintaining order and enforcing laws, so obviously we want to make sure they are appropriately staffed,” Sen Schwank added. “This funding will help the courts meet increasing demands on their resources, but it also will give minors the counsel they need to get their lives back on track, and hopefully avoid future entanglements with the law.”
The Berks County District Attorney’s Office received $15,042 for two assistant district attorneys and one support staff for the Berks County Juvenile Court. The funding will help increase pre-hearing diversion cases, pre-hearing case negotiations, and decrease the number of preventable case continuances.
The Berks County Public Defender’s Office received $15,043 to partially fund a fully-time assistant public defender and support staff to meet increasing needs of juvenile offenders. The funding will ensue that juveniles are represented at the earliest opportunity and help public defender staff reduce conflicts that cause court delays and the need for new counsel.
The funding comes from the federal Juvenile Accountability Block Grant program for continuation projects.