Every time a juvenile offender in Cumberland County is considered dangerous enough to need detainment, it starts a game of musical chairs – or, in this case, beds. Probation officers call more than a dozen detention centers and shelters to see if a spot is available for the juvenile to stay until their first court appearance. The problem: There are rarely enough open beds.
When one can’t be found, the offender is usually just sent home, back into the community where they may have committed the crime, with an ankle monitor that doesn’t guarantee custody. This is a statewide dilemma, and it takes a toll on everyone involved: the juvenile who needs rehabilitation, the community and victim who need protection and the probation staff who are overloaded. “We’re playing the shell game every single day that we come to work,” said Andy Benner, Cumberland County’s chief juvenile probation officer.
Detention of juveniles is rare, mainly reserved for the highest offenders or repeat offenders. After arrest, a juvenile who isn’t released can spend up to 72 hours in detention before their first hearing. Cumberland County saw 590 juvenile allegations last year, Benner said, and probation officers tried to place 17 of those offenders in detention.
This decision is informed by the individual’s PaDRAI score (PA Detention Risk Assessment Instrument, pronounced like the Spanish “padre”). It assesses a juvenile’s risk of reoffending before their court appearance or just fai.