Title
Authorizing a Joint Hearing of the City Council Committee on Children and Youth and the Committee on Technology and Information Services on the use of electronic monitoring or Global Positioning Systems (GPS) for youth involved with Philadelphia's Juvenile Justice System.
Body
WHEREAS, The spending of the Philadelphia Department of Human Services Juvenile Justice Services Division has decreased from $99 million in FY2017 to $68.1 million in FY2022; the number of Philadelphia youth placed in secure detention decreased from 2,499 in CY2019 to 1,733 in CY2023; and the number of youth served by the Juvenile Probation Office also declined, from 3,637 in FY2017 to 2,050 in FY2023; and
WHEREAS, Despite this overall reduction, racial disparities persist in the juvenile justice system. According to FY22 data from the Juvenile Court Judges' Commission Annual Report, in Philadelphia, Black youth account for 78% of delinquency dispositions. Black youth are also disproportionately represented in the use of secure detention, comprising 82% of secure detention admissions in Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, Electronic monitoring has been utilized in Philadelphia as a means to monitor and supervise youth involved in the juvenile justice system, presenting one, but not the only, alternative to secure detention. During the COVID-19 pandemic, GPS surveillance was increasingly used as an alternative to placement to reduce the risk of virus transmission in congregate settings; and
WHEREAS, The number of youth monitored by Philadelphia juvenile probation using electronic monitoring as an alternative to incarceration has increased over time, from 1,500 youth monitored in FY2017 to 1,720 youth in FY2023. This has contributed to a "GPS culture", where GPS surveillance is now a prevalent method for managing youth in the juvenile justice system; and
WHEREAS, While GPS surveillance aims to provide an alternative to detention, it can also significantly restrict access to normal activiti...
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