Commissioners proclaim Juvenile Justice Week; approve Advent eLearning subscription and state grant application for treatment court

The Lackawanna County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 15 proclaimed Oct. 5–11, 2025 as Juvenile Justice Week and heard remarks highlighting the county's balanced and restorative approach to juvenile justice. Judge Frank Ruggiero praised the juvenile probation staff and said the system emphasizes both accountability and restorative sanctions.

"It's the balanced, the balance between the sanctions required to address the conduct ... but it's also the balance and the restorative sanctions," Judge Frank Ruggiero said, and he described plans to implement an Advent eLearning system for juvenile probation staff to use as a programming tool.

The board approved a resolution (25-0244) authorizing a subscription agreement with Advent eLearning for juvenile probation to commence Oct. 1, 2025, through Dec. 31, 2026. Chief Juvenile Probation Officer Melissa Pavlowski said the web-based platform offers behavior-changing courses tailored to common juvenile offenses, including substance abuse, bullying, corrective thinking, shoplifting and anger management, and is intended to reduce recidivism among low-level offenders.

Separately, commissioners approved submission of a Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) grant application for Lackawanna County treatment court seeking $180,000 in State Opioid Response funds. Treatment court program director Gregory Butts said the competitive 18-month grant would fund services from partner organizations for people both in county prison and in reentry programs if awarded.