Luzerne County Government

July 2, 2010

A regional juvie center considered

Petrilla hopes to revive discussions with neighboring counties about establishing joint detention center to save money.

By Jennifer Learn-Andes jandes@timesleader.com
Luzerne County Reporter
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Luzerne County Commissioner Chairwoman Maryanne Petrilla said she’d like to revive discussions with neighboring counties about establishing a regional juvenile detention center in light of PA Child Care’s recent decision to stop offering detention housing at its Pittston Township facility.

However, the cost of a regional center may not make sense because Luzerne County has been averaging only about four to six youths in detention, Petrilla said.

Detention is for youths who must be lodged away from home until they go before a judge for sentencing.

Housing those youths in Lehigh and Tioga counties, though inconvenient, may remain the best option, Petrilla said.

County minority Commissioner Stephen A. Urban said he supports sending the youth to other counties because it would likely cost less than sharing in construction of a regional facility.

The county had been relying on the Pittston Township facility since former Judge Michael Conahan refused to stop sending youth to the county’s River Street juvenile detention center in 2002, arguing that it was not fit for habitation. The facility had passed state and city inspections, but Conahan tied the commissioners’ hands by returned the facility’s license to the state.

Conahan has agreed to plead guilty to a single count of racketeering related to a $2.8 million kickback scheme involving the construction and placement of children at PA Child Care’s centers in Pittston Township and Western Pennsylvania.

Luzerne County commissioners ended a controversial $58 million, 20-year lease of the Pittston Township center in 2008 because the state Department of Public Welfare reduced reimbursement for the facility, arguing that PA Child Care owners were receiving too much profit.

Since then, the county has been leasing detention beds as needed at the Pittston Township facility.

PA Child Care owner Greg Zappala has been expressing a desire to switch the remaining detention beds to treatment ones since the county stopped leasing the facility, county officials say. The facility sent notice to the county about a week ago announcing that it was focusing fully on juvenile treatment and ending its detention housing, said county Children and Youth Director Frank Castano.

Castano said he supports discussion about a regional detention center because it may be more cost efficient and require less travel for juveniles, county staff and families.

Petrilla and other county officials met with representatives of Lackawanna, Pike, Wayne, Monroe and Susquehanna counties in 2009 because the counties were interested in teaming up to build a regional detention center.

“Then it fizzled out. I’d be in favor of rejuvenating those discussions again,” Petrilla said.

The county’s former detention center remains vacant, though county officials remain interested in possible reuses for the facility.

Jennifer Learn-Andes, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 831-7333.

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