Don Horn, commissioner of social services, and members of public safety described a new youth court initiative the county will run in partnership with CORE Learning Center and probation, using Raise the Age and SDSJP funding sources.
Horn said Social Services and probation have partnered with CORE and that the youth court is intended for young people eligible under the "raise to age" label (16- and 17-year-olds who now fall under juvenile services rather than adult criminal court). "Social services has been partnering with probation ... we have started an initiative to start a youth court within the county for kids that qualify for raise to age," Horn said.
Scott (county public safety representative) told the committee the plan uses state funding streams to support locally based programming rather than sending youth to out-of-county placements. "Our models ... should not look anything like Stew Bend, Chautauqua, Wyoming County. The purpose of the funding ... is to make it what works for Allegheny County," Scott said, adding the partnership aims for "cost effective and high potential for good outcomes." He said the program includes linkages to job readiness and alternative education through local partners.
Committee members welcomed the initiative and asked for a one-year progress report; there was no vote or formal action recorded on this item during the meeting.