Addressing a key shift in the city's approach to juvenile justice, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner announced plans to massively expand the alternatives to incarceration for young offenders. The strategy aims to keep young lives from straying into crime and instead guide them toward recovery and success. "We want them to be successful, we want them to increase public safety in the same way as diversion for adults for gun possession turned out," Krasner was quoted in a WHYY report. This pivot follows a year where adult crime in Philadelphia significantly dropped.
Assistant DA Jordan King, spearheading the juvenile diversion program, highlighted the importance of tackling issues with multi-faceted strategies. King boldly claimed that diversion is better suited than jail time and a criminal record for young people. “We divert youth cases because we know that the promotion of accountability, safety, victim restoration, and redemption requires that we work with community-based experts to diagnose these multi-pronged challenges so that we can remove barriers to success,” King told WHYY. Echoing these sentiments at a press conference, Krasner stressed rehabilitation over incarceration, asserting, "When you actually go directly at the root cause of the problems, you make the public safer," as reported by 6abc.
In terms of practical application, the diversion programs have showcased effective outcomes. As detailed by King and shared by WHYY, successful initiatives include programs aimed at car theft offenders, where participants are taught decision-making skills and the potential consequences of their actions under the law. Moreover, the initiative has linked participants to job training sources, furnishing them with practical certifications such as forklift operation and CPR. These programs are stepping stones towards employability and societal contribution.
The DA's office has indeed ramped up its partner network, growing from eight partnerships in 2019 to a notable count of 30 in the past year, as reported by WHYY. Krasner has used this network to enrich the diversion program's offerings and to also challenge Pennsylvania's legal framework around juvenile charging. He is particularly critical of the "direct file" procedure, mandating juveniles to be charged as adults for certain offenses. “I am not a fan of direct file, but I think there is a whole group of things the state legislature could do, perhaps one of the most important of which is to replace the facilities that were closed that were placement facilities, so that we have proper rehabilitative, robust facilities, for juveniles who commit serious offenses, but who should be addressed in the juvenile system,” Krasner explained in statements obtained by WHYY.
While Krasner is gearing up for re-election and faces opposition from former Municipal Court Judge Pat Dugan, the renewed focus on juvenile justice reform has prompted detailed discussions amongst city leaders about accountability, victim support, and community impact. Robert Listenbee, First Assistant District Attorney, joined the conversation, addressing similar themes at the same press conference, as per a Philadelphia Tribune article. The DA's office's Juvenile Unit is actively harnessing these discussions to redefine outcomes for youth entangled in the gears of the criminal justice system.
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