The proposed project will offer 40 beds for juvenile male and female offenders; solving a problem county officials and law enforcement have dealt with for years

LACKAWANNA COUNTY, Pa. — A unanimous vote by all three Lackawanna County commissioners at a special meeting on Tuesday will see a potential partnership between Lackawanna, Berks, Dauphin, and Lehigh counties for a new regional juvenile detention center.

“This initiative provides stability. It improves the outcomes for our youth, and it strengthens public safety across our region,” said  Commissioner Bill Gaughan.

“I think with everyone involved and, and with the expertise in this room and then beyond, I know that we can make this a huge success,” said Commissioner Chris Chermak.

By the fall of 2027, a 40-bed juvenile detention center looks to be up and running in Berks County, with 10 beds reserved for male and female juvenile offenders from Lackawanna County.

It will hopefully address an issue that county leaders like Lackawanna County Chief of Staff Brian Jeffers and law enforcement have been working to fix for years.

“I mean, this is a huge thing for our county, and it unburdens a lot of the law enforcement community with what are they gonna do when they come up with someone that’s, that’s a youth that’s being violent and so on and so forth,” said Jeffers. “It’s tremendous.”

The detention center was backed by Lackawanna County President Judge James A. Gibbons and Judge Frank Ruggiero, who oversees juvenile court hearings.

“We’re fortunate we get Northampton County. Oftentimes we do not, so we’re Bucks County, we’re Chester County. We know sometimes we’re in Jefferson County, Ohio. That’s great for the detention component, but what it does not address is the treatment component,” said Ruggiero.

The county’s chief financial officer, Dave Bulzoni, says the county expects to spend about $2.6 million the first year, slightly more than the $2.3 million in projected spending this year.

“I think it’s important when you really take a look at these options that the alternative of the regional detention center becomes very viable. Not necessarily from a current perspective, but going forward from a longer term perspective, and I think that’s really important,” said Bulzoni.

Berks County will oversee the operations of the facility. Chief Operating Officer Kevin Barnhardt and Deputy Larry Medaglia say there is still some work to be done before juveniles can be housed.

“It’s going to be county-run, so county employees, not a private entity. It’s going to be county benefits and county pension. So we think that’s a big attractor for people that want to be employed in this facility,” said Barnhardt.

Dauphin County officials approved their role in the regional detention center. The Lehigh County Commissioners Office could not be reached on Tuesday to see if they’ll be voting to sign on, but Berks County officials say they are confident it will move forward.

Lackawanna County will continue to outsource its juvenile detention placements until the Berks County facility is operational.