HR 142 — A Resolution directing the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a study and issue a report on the best practices and recommendations for the operation of juvenile detention centers within this Commonwealth.

PRINTER'S NO.   1109

                  THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



           HOUSE RESOLUTION
              No. 142
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY KAZEEM, SANCHEZ, HILL-EVANS, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ,
        HANBIDGE, FLEMING, DALEY, CIRESI, OTTEN, GREEN AND CURRY,
        MARCH 24, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN AND YOUTH, MARCH 24, 2025


                                A RESOLUTION
 1   Directing the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a
 2      study and issue a report on the best practices and
 3      recommendations for the operation of juvenile detention
 4      centers within this Commonwealth.
 5      WHEREAS, A grand jury investigated abuse allegations at the
 6   now closed Delaware County Juvenile Detention Center (DCJDC) and
 7   found that the DCJDC "existed like a prison intent on
 8   punishment, not reform, and allowed a dangerous, unprofessional
 9   culture to pervade"; and
10      WHEREAS, The grand jury found that an extreme lack of
11   available activities led to residents spending "most of their
12   time in their rooms doing nothing"; and
13      WHEREAS, The grand jury found, based on witness testimony,
14   that although education should have been provided, "staff would
15   not always bring the juveniles to the classroom as required" and
16   "the school work was...frequently below the juveniles' actual
17   grade level"; and
18      WHEREAS, The grand jury found that the facility frequently
 1   cursed at and bullied residents; and
 2      WHEREAS, The grand jury found that the facility failed to
 3   intervene in fights between residents and to deescalate episodes
 4   effectively; and
 5      WHEREAS, The grand jury heard testimony of sexually
 6   inappropriate conduct by male detention staff, including making
 7   sexually inappropriate comments to female residents and making
 8   sexually inappropriate advances toward female staff members; and
 9      WHEREAS, The grand jury found that "there has been no
10   comprehensive examination of best practices for operating secure
11   juvenile detention facilities," but "so long as there is a need
12   for such facilities to operate, there is a need to establish
13   standards for how they should operate consistently with the goal
14   of rehabilitation"; and
15      WHEREAS, The grand jury recommended that the General Assembly
16   make use of the Joint State Government Commission's research
17   ability to develop policies and practices; therefore be it
18      RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives direct the Joint
19   State Government Commission to conduct a study and issue a
20   report on the best practices and recommendations for the
21   operation of juvenile detention centers within this
22   Commonwealth, including:
23          (1)   The implementation of total video surveillance of
24      the facility, excluding bedrooms and bathrooms, by a video
25      surveillance system with the capacity to store footage for a
26      minimum of 90 days and a requirement that a supervisor review
27      and preserve video footage whenever a physical restraint is
28      used by staff on a juvenile and the procedures necessary to
29      ensure that the footage is used to ensure juvenile safety and
30      not to incriminate juveniles.

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 1        (2)   Expanding the list of required training categories
 2    beyond the requirements of the 3800-series regulations,
 3    including training on deescalation techniques, handling
 4    children with trauma and mental health issues and respecting
 5    the specific rights of children in detention as specified in
 6    the 3800-series regulations.
 7        (3)   Requiring that such training be conducted in person
 8    and allow detention staff to practice techniques prior to
 9    supervising children.
10        (4)   Creating additional minimum qualifications for
11    management and staff, which may include raising the minimum
12    age of detention staffers.
13        (5)   Incentivizing employment for people with lived
14    experience whose backgrounds are reflective of the
15    demographics of the juveniles in the facility and for
16    juveniles in the facility with multidisciplinary backgrounds.
17        (6)   Restricting the use of overtime, including limiting
18    the number of hours a detention officer or supervisor can
19    work either consecutively or in a 24-hour to 48-hour period,
20    with attention to how staffing levels will impact the use of
21    isolation and solitary confinement or other harmful
22    practices.
23        (7)   Reviewing any options that may be available to
24    ensure a living wage that can attract and retain qualified
25    candidates.
26        (8)   Adding programming requirements for juveniles,
27    including standards on how juveniles should be educated in
28    ways that support age-appropriate educational
29    activities, with consideration on how best to support
30    education and other programming outside of the facility.

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 1          (9)    Adopting policies to ensure the rights of juveniles
 2      and staff to file incident reports and grievances without
 3      retaliation, including policies to ensure that grievances are
 4      accessible to English language learners and individuals with
 5      disabilities, to internally track ChildLine reports,
 6      facility-specific incident reports and grievances filed
 7      against employees, whether by juveniles or other employees,
 8      to collect and analyze data on the demographics of juveniles
 9      who filed grievances against employees based on substantiated
10      reports and to assess the grievances on the basis of race,
11      abuse, orientation, gender bias or discrimination, sexual
12      violence and assault.
13          (10)   Identifying juveniles who can be served in their
14      homes and communities and methods to support their release to
15      those settings.
16          (11)   Identifying policies that contribute to
17      overcrowding in the facility, including the use of detention
18      for juveniles with electronic monitoring violations, the use
19      of detention for juveniles with technical probation
20      violations and reduced availability of post-disposition
21      placement as a result of juveniles not being credited for
22      time served in detention;
23   and be it further
24      RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives direct the Joint
25   State Government Commission to establish an advisory committee
26   of no less than 13 members to consult with the Joint State
27   Government Commission in conducting the study, including
28   representatives of the judiciary, district attorneys, law
29   enforcement officials, public organizations involved in juvenile
30   justice rehabilitation, representatives of county children and

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1   youth agencies and juvenile justice agencies and any other
2   similar organizations as determined by the Joint State
3   Government Commission.




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