By James Williams, Editor

Proposed Legislation Aims to Protect Children, Reduce Recidivism, and Save Taxpayer Dollars

Pennsylvania House Democrats have taken a bold step toward reforming the state’s juvenile justice system with the introduction of a 10-bill legislative package known as the CARE Package. At a news conference held on March 18 at the state Capitol, six Democratic lawmakers detailed their vision for a fairer, more effective juvenile justice system—one that prioritizes rehabilitation over punishment and safeguards the rights of justice-involved youth.

A System in Need of Reform

State Rep. Dan Miller (D-Allegheny) highlighted the urgency of legislative action, pointing to a bipartisan Juvenile Justice Task Force report from 2021 that recommended changes to improve outcomes for Pennsylvania’s youth while saving taxpayers millions.

> “A few years ago, a bipartisan juvenile justice task force issued a number of recommendations on how to improve outcomes for our kids and save money,” Miller said. “But legislative action has been slow to build off of this effort. Our package of bills highlights many of those recommendations and expands upon them to enhance justice, focus efforts and, hopefully, reduce recidivism.”



Rep. Emily Kinkead (D-Allegheny) echoed these concerns, citing fundamental flaws in how the system treats children.

> “We know there are fundamental design problems with how Pennsylvania’s juvenile justice system is set up to handle children,” Kinkead said. “These bills are targeted to address those specific issues. This package of legislation is all about creating a justice system that allows kids greater opportunities to escape the cycle of recidivism and lead fulfilling and impactful lives.”

Standing with other House Democrats, state Rep. Chris Rabb (D-Phila.) called on House and Senate leaders to act immediately and move the legislative package forward.

> “We know this system isn’t working for Pennsylvania’s kids,” Rabb said. *“Instead of giving them the help they need, our juvenile justice system is perpetuating a cycle of incarceration that is dooming our youth to a lifetime of interaction with our criminal justice system.

> “This creates bad outcomes across the board – for the kids who are caught in the system without a way out and for the taxpayers who have to pay the bill. Instead of restorative justice, we have a carceral state that is predicated on the continued incarceration of individuals.


> “How do we know we are failing our kids? Because four years ago a bipartisan report from this body told us where we were failing them. Not only that, but it also gave us 35 recommendations on how to fix the juvenile justice system – most of which have been ignored. The time to act is now.”*


What’s in the CARE Package?

The CARE Package is a sweeping set of proposals aimed at restructuring the juvenile justice system in ways that emphasize rehabilitation and fairness. The six House Democrats behind the initiative—Miller, Kinkead, Anthony Bellmon (D-Phila.), Rick Krajewski (D-Phila.), Chris Rabb (D-Phila.), and Melissa Shusterman (D-Chester)—have designed the package to address some of the most pressing concerns in juvenile justice today.

Key provisions of the CARE Package include eliminating the automatic charging of some children as adults and prohibiting adult court prosecutions for juveniles. The bills also seek to expand and standardize juvenile diversion programs to keep children out of the criminal justice system while ensuring that the most vulnerable youth are protected from detention placements and given alternative solutions for non-violent offenses. Other reforms include limiting the use of solitary confinement for juveniles, strengthening Miranda rights protections for minors, and safeguarding their right to an education.

The proposed legislation would also place restrictions on juvenile probation terms and clarify the distinction between delinquency and dependency cases. Financial burdens on families would be reduced by eliminating fines and limiting court fees imposed on juveniles. To ensure greater accountability, the package includes measures to increase oversight of juvenile justice facilities and mandates that juveniles receive credit for time served while awaiting adjudication to prevent unnecessary prolonged detention.

Why Now? The Cost of Inaction

In 2021, the bipartisan Juvenile Justice Taskforce conducted a comprehensive, data-driven assessment of the state’s juvenile justice system and issued 35 recommendations for reform. The report estimated that implementing these changes would reduce out-of-home placements by 39% and save taxpayers $80 million.

Despite these findings, most recommendations remain unimplemented. Advocates argue that continuing to ignore these reforms means perpetuating a broken system—one that disproportionately harms marginalized youth and places unnecessary financial strain on Pennsylvania taxpayers.

Stefanie Arbutina, Vulnerable Youth Policy Director of Children First, emphasized the need to prioritize community safety and support for children rather than punitive measures.

> “Kids need to be invested in and supported, not punished and locked up,” Arbutina said. “We all want community safety – not safety from children, but safety for children.”



What’s Next?

With strong Democratic support and a clear bipartisan precedent, advocates are calling on the Pennsylvania House and Senate leadership to prioritize these reforms. As the CARE Package moves through the legislative process, supporters hope lawmakers across the aisle will recognize the moral and fiscal imperative of enacting these long-overdue changes.

The Town Crier is a Rapid Response news blog that is written by James Williams and created in collaboration with ChatGPT. For research assistance and content editing. The image of the Town Crier was created by ChatGPT.