PHILADELPHIA (January 7, 2025)—Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, First Assistant Robert Listenbee, and members of the District Attorney’s Office Juvenile, Juvenile Homicide, and Juvenile Diversion Units addressed the city’s state of juvenile justice on Tuesday.
Since DA Krasner took office in 2018, the DAO has strived to implement juvenile justice policies that hold youth who commit serious offenses accountable while connecting them to the resources they need to rehabilitate and become healthy, productive members of society.
The Juvenile Act prohibits the DAO from addressing cases in juvenile court that involve serious crimes with a weapon such as homicides, carjackings, aggravated assault, and sexual violence. These cases are instead “direct-filed” to adult court for traditional prosecution.
For mid-level offenses, such as prohibited possession of a firearm, most juveniles are held in custody at the Philadelphia Juvenile Justice Services Center (PJJSC) until these cases are heard by a judge in juvenile court. Following a verdict (adjudication of delinquency), a juvenile court judge will determine whether probation or placement in a youth facility are appropriate for the juvenile’s rehabilitation.
Other cases resolve with consent decrees, which are defined as an agreement between the prosecutor and the juvenile that the youth be placed under court supervision under agreed-upon terms; this generally lasts for approximately six months and, if successfully completed, results in no further prosecution and an expunged record.
Another form of resolution involves deferred adjudications, wherein the court defers its decision until successful completion of an interim probationary period that typically lasts 60 days. Following this, the case is dismissed and expunged from the juvenile’s record.
For low-level offenses, accountability is often accomplished through a comprehensive portfolio of diversion programming for youth aged 15 to 17 that includes job training, behavioral health resources, sports, and arts, while 12 to 14 year olds connect to a Youth Aid Panel. Since 2018, this portfolio has expanded to over two dozen programs.
Part of holding youth accountable for causing harm involves financial restitution to crime victims. This is often accomplished through youth job programs and community service initiatives, where juveniles earn up to $1,000 that can be paid to victims within six months.
“My administration since day one has strived to treat kids like kids whenever possible, while keeping public safety in the forefront of our decision-making,” said DA Krasner. “Under the leadership of DAO First Assistant Robert Listenbee, we have done just this. There is still more work to be done, including improving the juvenile justice system.”
“I want to emphasize that one of the key aspects of our juvenile work at the DAO is talking to crime victims to gain their perspective and address what they need to make them whole again, while also connecting youth to rehabilitation when appropriate and seeking accountability,” said First Assistant Robert Listenbee. “I’m grateful to our juvenile justice team at the DAO for their extremely important work.”
“As an advocate for juvenile justice reform, it’s very promising to see the direction that juvenile justice is going under the Krasner administration,” said Donnell Drinks, the Leadership Development & Engagement Coordinator for the Campaign for Fair Sentencing of Youth (CFSY) and a former juvenile sentenced to life in prison before being resentenced in 2018. “We must continue to develop alternatives to incarceration that actually uphold the core values of restorative justice, such as humanity, accountability, and community in the process. I believe we can.”
CONTACT:
Dustin Slaughter, [email protected]
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The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office is the largest prosecutor’s office in Pennsylvania, and one of the largest in the nation. It serves the more than 1.5 million residents of the City and County of Philadelphia, employing 600 lawyers, detectives, and support staff. The District Attorney’s Office is responsible for the prosecution of approximately 40,000 criminal cases annually. Learn more about the DAO by visiting PhillyDA.org.