Programs - Juvenile Probation Department - Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas

Juvenile Probation Department

455 W Hamilton Street
Allentown, Pa 18101-1614
(610) 782-3143
Fax (610) 770-6701

JUVENILE PROBATION PROGRAMS

The Juvenile Probation Department endeavors, whenever possible, to utilize community based counseling programs, volunteer organizations, day treatment programs, as well as internal departmental services designed to reduce delinquency. The following is a list of diversion and preventative efforts efforts that have been undertaken by the Juvenile Probation Department to stem the tide in delinquency.

Programs:

Alcohol & Drug Awareness Program

School Based Probation

Lehigh County Community Based Probation

Grants and Contractual Arrangements

The Alpha Program

S.P.O.R.E. (Special Program for Offenders in Rehabilitation and Education)

Community Alternative Work Services (CAWS) Programs

Interagency Agreement with Children and Youth

Interagency Agreement With Mental Health/Mental Retardation

Placement In Boot Camps And Weekend Wilderness Programs

Electronic Monitoring

Lifeline Theater

College Mentoring Program

Prisoners Against Drugs

ALCOHOL & DRUG AWARENESS PROGRAM
An Alcohol & Drug Awareness Program was established for first time offenders charged with underage drinking offenses in 1988. (NOTE: These youth do not come under the jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court since these are summary offenses. This is a service provided by the Juvenile Probation Department for the Lehigh County communities. Clients pay a fee to participate in this program.) Juvenile Probation Officers instruct the class and provide information to the students concerning the social and legal implications of underage drinking and DUI. Guest speakers are invited to attend, as well as to share their life experiences concerning the toll alcohol and drug abuse has taken on their lives.

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SCHOOL BASED PROBATION
School Based Probation was a grant funded program initiated in 1990. This program physically places probation officers in the schools to supervise their clients and interact with teachers and other students on a daily basis. Individual classroom presentations are scheduled on a regular basis in order to explain the consequences for illegal behavior so as to deter youth from committing crimes. This program has been adopted throughout the State and it is estimated that millions of dollars have been saved statewide in residential placement costs by providing this type of involvement and supervision.

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LEHIGH COUNTY COMMUNITY BASED PROBATION
This is an expansion of the school-based program. All school districts and communities in Lehigh County will have probation officers placed in their assigned schools. The primary mission is to involve schools and the communities in the supervision and treatment of juveniles in their towns, neighborhoods, and classrooms.

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GRANTS AND CONTRACTUAL ARRANGEMENTS
Grants and contractual arrangements with community based counseling agencies have been secured over the last several years to maintain youth in the community through counseling services which include individual, group, and family counseling programs.

During 1998, grant funding was applied for and received from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency to initiate programs and services for delinquent youth. These programs include the funding of a Director of Balanced and Restorative Justice Projects, funding for the hiring of a Volunteer and Youth Aid Panel Coordinator, a School Resource Officer, and an Intensive Aftercare Program for youth committed to institutional facilities in the western part of Pennsylvania.

The Balanced and Restorative Justice Director will facilitate the development of community based partnerships that are designed to hold youth accountable and develop competencies in order to enable our youth to be productive and law abiding citizens of the community.

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THE ALPHA PROGRAM
The Alpha Program (formerly named "The Program for Women and Families") operates a group counseling program, alternative education program, and parenting classes, through grants and contractual arrangements. The intent is to work with these youth when they are first referred to probation in order to help them deal more effectively with their problems and reduce recidivism.

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S.P.O.R.E. (Special Program for Offenders in Rehabilitation and Education)
This is a partnership between the Office of Mental Health and the Juvenile Probation Department which provides both a probation officer and a MH/MR caseworker supervising youth and families in the Lehigh County communities. As a result of this collaboration, grant funding has been secured for youth in need of residential placement in psychiatric programs. The youth involved in this program receive a combination of Intensive Probation and Wrap Around Services in order to maintain them in the community.

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COMMUNITY ALTERNATIVE WORK SERVICE (CAWS) PROGRAMS
These programs are primarily utilized to hold our youths accountable for their delinquent offenses. Whenever possible we also try to find community service opportunities that improve their competencies.

CAWS I - Juveniles perform community service as a condition of their probation. The amount of hours juveniles must perform is based on the seriousness of their offense. Community service is performed at over 150 non-profit agencies throughout the county and on work crews.

CAWS II - Young Offenders Program - This program is specifically targeted for youths between the ages of 10-13. These youths are held accountable by attending 9 hours of classroom instruction. There are weekly homework assignments, a final report they must present and victim awareness issues are highly emphasized.

CAWS III - This is the restitution program and it is funded through the revenues generated at the Allentown Recycling Center. Juveniles in this program are given monetary credit for their community service hours. Victims receive compensation for their losses when the youths complete their hours.

Out Of School Suspension (OSS) Program - When juveniles are suspended from school it is a condition of their probation that they report to the courthouse at 8 am. They are then assigned to a community service project during the time they would normally be in school.

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INTERAGENCY AGREEMENT WITH CHILDREN AND YOUTH
This program has been in place for a number of years. Currently, there are budget funds available for community based counseling, residential placements in foster homes, and group home programs for youth needing services from both Juvenile Probation and Children and Youth Services.

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INTERAGENCY AGREEMENT WITH MENTAL HEALTH/MENTAL RETARDATION
When a delinquent youth needs residential placement in a psychiatric treatment program, funding through the state is arranged. Annual funding is secured from the state to assist in providing residential placement for this population.

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PLACEMENT IN BOOT CAMPS AND WEEKEND WILDERNESS PROGRAMS
In an effort to reduce the length of stay for youth who need residential treatment, referrals to boot camps and weekend programs are utilized. Additionally, Youth Forestry Camp #3 operates three short-term high impact programs which also help reduce the need for long-term placement.

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ELECTRONIC MONITORING
In lieu of continued detention for violations of probation or for a repeat offense which is of a minor nature, youth can be placed under this form of electronic surveillance for up to 60 days.

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LIFELINE THEATER
Under the direction of members of the Juvenile Probation Department, juveniles on probation and youth from area schools act in skits about the hazards associated with alcohol, drugs, and other risk taking behavior. These performances are scheduled at schools and community organizations located throughout Lehigh County. The intent is to educate young people about the social and legal implications of risk taking behavior.

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COLLEGE MENTORING PROGRAM
Juveniles on probation are taken to Moravian College and Lehigh County Community Collage several times throughout the college semester to participate in recreational events and group discussion activities and presentations about the process to attend college. The goal of this program is to persuade youth to think about higher education and begin planning for that as they progress through adolescence and their educational experience.

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PRISONERS AGAINST DRUGS
On a routine basis juvenile offenders have been taken to the Lehigh County Prison to hear the inmates discuss the reality of prison life and how drugs and alcohol paved the way for their incarceration.

Other Juvenile Probation Information:

Gereral Information

Inclement Weather Policy

Contact Information

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