SERVICES

The Juvenile Court Judges' Commission provides many services which include Juvenile Justice Week, legislation, grants, publications, juvenile court standards and consulting.

Juvenile Justice Week

Annually since 1979, the governor has proclaimed a specific week in October as Juvenile Justice Wee, acknowledging the importance of the services provided by the juvenil court to communities and our youth.

Legislation

The Juvenile Court Judges' Commission serves in a liaison capacity with the juvenile courts, the governor's office and the General Assembly with regard to legislative proposals affecting Pennsylvania's juvenile justice and child welfare systems. The commission provides juvenile courts, probation departments and the legislature with necessary information regarding the status, provisions and anticipated impact of relevant pending and recently enacted legislation. In 1994, the commission was selected as the Outstanding Legislation Program in the nation by the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.

Grants

The commission administers a grant-in-aid program funded by an annual legislative appropriation, which is designed to improve juvenile probation services. Funding eligibility is determined by each county's compliance with the specific standards developed by the commission.

Publications

The commission provides juvenle justice personnel with up-to-date information on current trends and issues from both the state and national perspectives. Specialized publications are developed to convey this information. "Pennsylvania Juvenile Justice," the Juvenile Court Judges' Commission's newsletter, is published monthly and distributed to all probation departments, judges and related personnel. The commission staff distributes updated copies of the Juvenile Act for convenient reference by probation and court personnel.

Juvenile Court Standards

The Juvenile Court Judges' Commission is responsible for developing standards governing all aspects of the operation of juvenile courts and juvenile probation departments. To date, standards have been developed in 21 areas of juvenile court/juvenile probation functioning and are available under the Standards section on this website.

Consulting

The commission staff provides consultant services to the commonwealth's 67 counties on matters ranging from the efficiency of administrative procedures to program development. On-site consultations and evaluations are conducted at the request of the counties.