Lehigh County officials are poised to accept a plan to send children involved in the juvenile justice system to Bern Township in Berks County for incarceration. A one-sided presentation from Berks officials \u2014 and little visible due diligence \u2014 has provided the incomplete foundation for an action that could adversely impact our children for generations.<\/p>\n
No input from the community was sought. Children involved in the juvenile system overwhelmingly come from the poorest parts of our community, where poverty rates exceed 50% and child poverty of 65.4% persists in some neighborhoods<\/a>. And, predictably, children of color are disproportionately impacted by these policies. Yet there\u2019s been no input from the families most affected by this proposal.<\/p>\n Children placed in Bern Township would be deprived of visitation from parents who cannot travel over an hour away for visits. Many families lack reliable transportation or flexible work schedules to make such trips. When children are placed far from home, they become disconnected from their community \u2014 effectively banished from the village that should help guide them back toward stability.<\/p>\n Moreover, studies are clear that visitation preserves parent-child bonds<\/a>, fosters emotional stability for children, improves behavioral outcomes and enhances academic performance. Visitation also reduces anxiety and depression, likely to afflict a child incarcerated far from home.<\/p>\n Officials have centered discussion on the potential fiscal savings of this plan. However, deeper examination raises questions about whether any projected savings would remain once the long-term social, transportation, and systemic costs are considered.<\/p>\n Is it fiscally prudent to enter into a 20-year contractual obligation that will affect our children long after many of the officials supporting it have left office?<\/p>\n Lehigh County\u2019s own history should encourage caution:<\/p>\n \u2022In 1992, the Lehigh County Jail was built for $51 million with a capacity of 1,352 inmates<\/a>, yet now is nearly half empty.<\/p>\n \u2022In 2004 a Juvenile Detention Center was constructed in South Whitehall Township with a capacity for 48 children at a cost of $8.5 million, only to be closed less than a decade later<\/a>.<\/p>\n Now officials are rushing to commit to this long-term contract that was not publicly revealed until just days ago, nor fully evaluated by financial experts. The legal and financial potential pitfalls are enormous.The Lehigh County controller, fiscal watchdog for taxpayers, has strongly criticized the proposal, recommending:<\/p>\n \u2022Pausing any long-term commitment to a regional detention agreement until a full evaluation is completed.<\/p>\n \u2022Assessing whether existing providers can meet county needs through negotiated service levels.<\/p>\n \u2022Evaluating options that preserve proximity to families.<\/p>\n \u2022Developing clearer projections of demand, cost, and outcomes before entering into any agreement that binds the county beyond the near term.<\/p>\n