PCCYFS Report Proposes Solutions to Advance the Current Landscape of Detention Services

The Pennsylvania Council of Children, Youth & Family Services (PCCYFS) recently released a report, Pennsylvania’s Detention Bed Crisis: An Opportunity for Change. This report includes an overview of the current detention bed crisis in Pennsylvania and offers recommendations for consideration.

“The detention services crisis is not unique to Pennsylvania, but in order for us to address it effectively, we can look at solutions as tested in other jurisdictions, but personalized to the way detention is structured here,” said PCCYFS President and CEO, Terry L. Clark. “This report not only pulls together current information and data, but also reframes the crisis as an opportunity for Pennsylvania to implement innovative practices taking place in other states for the benefit of Pennsylvania’s youth and communities.”

The report recognizes the contributing factors that have severely limited the availability of detention beds in Pennsylvania while also identifying meaningful solutions to reverse current trends. It also identifies contributors to the problem and geographical gaps in current services, from the perspective of juvenile justice services providers.