Real Life Real Issues: Juvenile Justice series begins
What to look for on Smart Talk Monday, May 22, 2017:
WITF begins a multipart, multimedia Real Life Real Issues series on the juvenile justice system Monday. Smart Talk kicks off the project with an overview of juvenile justice.
Most people don’t know much about the juvenile justice system. One of the reasons is that unlike adult criminal court, court proceedings and records are not open to the public. The idea is to protect the identity of the young person accused of a crime or breaking the law. Â
There are other differences too. A single judge hears juvenile cases with no jury. The probation department, prosecutors and defense attorneys often work together to determine what’s best for the young person while taking crime victims and public safety into account as well.
WITF was given unique access into Cumberland’s County’s juvenile justice system, including following one young woman in the system for six months.
Brandi and her mother
Throughout the week on Smart Talk, we’ll hear from a district attorney, a judge, the head of a probation department, a public defender and others.
Appearing on Monday’s program are Richard Steele, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission, Samuel Miller, Chief Juvenile Probation Officer in Cumberland County and Ron Turo, a juvenile public defender in Cumberland County.
Richard Steele – Executive Director, Pennsylvania Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission / Ron Turo – Juvenile Public Defender, Cumberland County / Samuel Miller – Chief Juvenile Probation Officer, Cumberland County
emails
– Do you put abusive or negligence parents on probation as well? Child/ren can’t be expected to model behaviour they haven’t had the chance to learn. Schools teach lots of do’s & don’t that may temporarily stop conflict, but that is not conflict resolution. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â – anon
-Â The juvenile system does a lot of work for kids in the system helping them with their present situation as well as setting them up for a better future, but what about steps the System and the BAR are doing to prevent children from committing crimes to begin with? Reaching out to Middle and High Schoolers before they commit a crime. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â – Dominic, Carlisle
