Title
Authorizing City Council's Committee on Public Safety to hold hearings to examine the programs and services available to juvenile offenders in Philadelphia prior to and upon their reentry into society.
Body
WHEREAS, Eighty-four percent of defendants charged with homicide in the City of Philadelphia have been arrested in the past. Many individuals who go on to commit violent crimes first entered the criminal justice system as juveniles. In order to reduce violent crime, the City of Philadelphia must reduce juvenile recidivism; and
WHEREAS, According to the National Reentry Resource Center, many juveniles currently housed in correctional facilities come from communities grappling with high crime rates, poverty, and poor quality education; and
WHEREAS, Juveniles in correctional facilities often suffer from educational deficiencies, mental illness, and substance abuse; and
WHEREAS, Upon release from correction facilities, juveniles often return to the same challenging life circumstances and are therefore more likely to reoffend; and
WHEREAS, Juveniles reentering society are much more likely to drop out of high school than other juveniles, which severely limits their economic potential; and
WHEREAS, Programs that provide support services such as counseling, life skills, educational and vocational training, treatment for mental health and addiction, and housing assistance to juveniles upon release from correctional facilities have proven successful in reducing the likelihood that juveniles will reoffend; and
WHEREAS, Research by the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University's Public Policy Institute indicates that social engagement through family, peer, school and community networks is particularly effective in reducing recidivism among juveniles due to the developing nature of the juvenile brain. Support services such as behavior health treatment based on professional assessments have also been shown to red...
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