Next group goal: Keep youths out of trouble

By Mark Guydish mguydish@timesleader.comEducation Reporter

KINGSTON – Calling all parents: The Luzerne County juvenile justice system wants to talk to you.

No, not because your son or daughter is in trouble.

Quite the contrary; members want to help make sure the youths stay out of trouble.

Members of the Luzerne County Juvenile Justice Task Force – a consortium of officials from courts, social service agencies and child advocacy groups – met Wednesday to discuss the next step in what has been a long and broad effort to rebuild a juvenile justice system shattered by scandal in 2009, when two county judges were charged with accepting millions of dollars in exchange for rulings that benefited private juvenile detention and treatment facilities.

Part of that effort, county Assistant District Attorney Jeff Tokach noted, has included numerous appearances by him and District Attorney Jackie Musto Carroll in middle schools with a presentation for students called “Too Smart for Trouble.”

It is designed to show students how actions they might think are trivial could actually break the law. Tokach estimated the program has reached as many as 6,000 students.

The task force also has held forums with area school principals and officials, arranged through the Luzerne Intermediate Unit, which provides various services to local schools.

LIU Interagency Coordinator Mary Jo Shisko said more than 100 people had attended the forums. The goal is to familiarize people with the juvenile justice system, update them on changes made as a result of the scandal and connect adults with agencies that can help children at risk avoid the actions that land them in court.

The next logical step, Luzerne County Juvenile Court Judge Dave Lupas suggested, is to meet with classroom teachers and parents.

Shisko said the LIU is trying to arrange meetings between task force members and teachers on “in-service” days mandated by state law, when students have off but teachers come to school for training.

Parents, Shisko and others conceded, are a tougher crowd to reach. Tokach noted seminars on Internet safety aimed at parents have usually drawn sparse crowds.

Luzerne County Juvenile Probation Officer Theresa Kline noted one option is to meet with parents on school orientation days, when students and parents are invited to some schools – particularly middle schools because of the transition from elementary grades.

Kline also suggested the upcoming creation of Youth Aid Panels – a group of community volunteers who deal with first-time juvenile offenders rather than having them face court – presents a good opportunity to connect with parents when the program is unveiled to the public in coming months.

Shisko suggested asking school administrators and teachers for further ideas.