Latest News from State Capitol and 55th District

October 24, 2024

Juvenile Justice Reforms Become Law
When it comes to Pennsylvania’s laws regarding crime, my first instinct is usually to side with victims.

After all, it was their lives that were impacted and, generally speaking, most laws are rightfully drafted to hold those who commit crimes accountable.

When a child commits a crime, certainly, they should also be held accountable. But Harrisburg is still obligated to make certain how we hold juvenile offenders accountable is working as intended.

This was the purpose of Pennsylvania’s Juvenile Justice Task Force. Created in 2019, its intent was to do a deep dive into the Commonwealth’s juvenile justice system and come back with recommendations for the General Assembly to consider.

Earlier this month, two bills were passed and recently signed into law based on those recommendations.

After reviewing the task force’s recommendations and findings, I was supportive of both measures because they did not detract from holding offenders accountable. However, they both aim to make certain the system is working the way it should.

The first, Act 107 of 2024, will require more frequent review hearings of juvenile offenders who are in detention centers. Disposition review hearings for juvenile offenders will now occur every three months, as opposed to the current requirement of one hearing every nine months.

Consider a pre-teen or teen that has been sentenced by the courts to serve a sentence away from their homes, families and schools. Certainly, there are some crimes serious enough to warrant such an extreme measure.

However, once in the care of a facility, we are obligated to make certain the juvenile is actually benefitting from what rehabilitative services the center offers. More importantly, we don’t want a juvenile spending more time there than necessary. This only drives up costs and potentially results in the juvenile growing older and committing more serious crimes.

By disposition hearings happening more frequently, the juvenile’s status can be more routinely evaluated by court officials, law enforcement and judges.

Act 108 of 2024 addresses how juveniles can seek expungement of their criminal record.

Previously, a juvenile was only eligible for expungement for most misdemeanor crimes after waiting five years. Now, the wait time will be two years. It is still a five-year wait for those convicted of felonies, misdemeanor firearms crimes and indecent assault.

It is my belief that the two-year window is appropriate for those charged with misdemeanors because of how having an expunged record can help a young person find success.

The most reasonable and well-intentioned pieces of legislation usually draw broad, bipartisan support. This was certainly the case for both of these proposals. Act 107 passed with no opposition at all and Act 108 received only two no votes in the Senate and only seven no votes in the House.

Here are some additional news topics and reminders I would like to share.

DCNR Seeks 2025 River of the Year Nominations - The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) is calling on Pennsylvanians to nominate their favorite waterway for the 2025 River of the Year. The winner is featured in a year-long series of events and activities to celebrate the river, including the popular River of the Year Sojourn.

All Pennsylvania waterways are eligible for nomination, except for the past five years of winners: Allegheny River (2024), Susquehanna North Branch (2023), French Creek (2022), Shenango River (2021) and Lackawanna River (2020).

The nomination period is open through Monday, Nov. 11, at 5 p.m. Selected nominations will be voted on by the public beginning in late November.

To nominate a river or waterway, visit pecpa.org/grants-awards/ and scroll down to “Apply.”

DCNR to Host Virtual Workshop for Recreation, Conservation Grant Program - The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) will host a free, virtual grant workshop next month for those seeking funding assistance for a new park, trail or conservation project.

The workshop will be held Thursday, Nov. 7, from 9 a.m. to noon., and is especially suited for municipal officials, consultants, board members, trail managers, land trust staff, and park and recreation professionals.

The workshop is free, but pre-registration is required to ensure participants receive needed materials. To register, visit the DCNR Calendar of Events at events.dcnr.pa.gov/ and choose Nov. 7 as the date.

Anyone interested in applying for DCNR grants in 2025 is strongly encouraged to attend. Videos of workshop presentations will be made available on the DCNR YouTube channel for those who cannot participate.