Authorizing City Council's Committee on Public Safety to hold hearings to examine the programs and services available to juvenile offenders in Philadelphia prior to and upon their reentry into society.

WHEREAS, Eighty-four percent of defendants charged with homicide in the City of Philadelphia have been arrested in the past. Many individuals who go on to commit violent crimes first entered the criminal justice system as juveniles. In order to reduce violent crime, the City of Philadelphia must reduce juvenile recidivism; and

WHEREAS, According to the National Reentry Resource Center, many juveniles currently housed in correctional facilities come from communities grappling with high crime rates, poverty, and poor quality education; and

WHEREAS, Juveniles in correctional facilities often suffer from educational deficiencies, mental illness, and substance abuse; and

WHEREAS, Upon release from correction facilities, juveniles often return to the same challenging life circumstances and are therefore more likely to reoffend; and

WHEREAS, Juveniles reentering society are much more likely to drop out of high school than other juveniles, which severely limits their economic potential; and

WHEREAS, Programs that provide support services such as counseling, life skills, educational and vocational training, treatment for mental health and addiction, and housing assistance to juveniles upon release from correctional facilities have proven successful in reducing the likelihood that juveniles will reoffend; and

WHEREAS, Research by the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University's Public Policy Institute indicates that social engagement through family, peer, school and community networks is particularly effective in reducing recidivism among juveniles due to the developing nature of the juvenile brain. Support services such as behavior health treatment based on professional assessments have also been shown to reduce recidivism rates among juveniles; and

WHEREAS, Research indicates that successful reentry into society also depends on the treatment and support services provided to juveniles while in correctional facilities; and

WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia must evaluate the effectiveness of current programs available to juvenile offenders in order ensure that the City is effectively addressing juvenile recidivism; now therefore,

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That City Council's Committee on Public Safety is hereby authorized to hold hearings to examine the programs and services available to juvenile offenders in Philadelphia prior to and upon their reentry into society.

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