President's Message

Welcome to the official website of the PA Council of Chief Juvenile Probation Officers.

The Council is a non-profit organization created over forty years ago to further the mission of Pennsylvania's Juvenile Justice System by promoting the use of best practices among the county operated Juvenile Probation Departments.

At its inception, the Council was comprised solely of Chief Juvenile Probation Officers who met to discuss current system issues, supervision strategies and service and funding needs. Over time, the Council has invited our key system partners into our organization including the Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, the Center for Juvenile Justice Training and Research, the National Center for Juvenile Justice and the extensive network of private and public service providers. The collaborative efforts of this coalition have allowed Pennsylvania to become one of the national front runners in the field of Juvenile Justice.

The effort to continue as a national front runner in the field of Juvenile Justice is reflected by the current Juvenile Justice System Enhancement Strategy.  We are committed to working in partnership to enhance the capacity of Pennsylvania’s Juvenile Justice System to achieve its balanced and restorative justice mission, coupled with the resolve to employ evidence-based practices with fidelity at every stage of the Juvenile Justice process.  Our goal is to improve the quality of our decisions, services and programs.  This effort is a testament to our ongoing pursuit of excellence. 

We hope you find this website informative. Feel free to contact us with your questions. 

Chief/Provider Forum

A Chief/Provider Forum was held in conjunction with the quarterly General Membership Meeting of the Pennsylvania Council of Chief Juvenile Probation Officers in State College on May 12, 2011. Updates pertaining to the Juvenile Justice System Enhancement Strategy (JJSES) were given. A Statement of Purpose for the JJSES has been made, which will involve a collaborative effort of system stakeholders to enhance Pennsylvania’s juvenile justice mission. This Statement of Purpose has been endorsed by JCJC, the Juvenile Court Section of the Pennsylvania Conference of State Trial Judges, the Council of Chief Juvenile Probation Officers, and the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Committee of PCCD. Private providers may contact Bruce Grim at bruceg@pccyfs.org to endorse the statement of purpose.


Click here to read more about the May 2011 Chief/Provider Forum

Click here to read more about the JJSES

Click Here for the Power Point Presentation on the JJSES

Chief's Council

New Chief Juvenile Probation Officer in Columbia County

Denise (Schechterly) LaBuda was appointed Chief in Columbia County on March 12, 2011 by the Honorable Thomas A. James Jr., President Judge.  Previously, Ms. LaBuda was the Deputy Chief in Columbia County for five years and prior to that was a Probation Officer for ten years.  Ms. LaBuda graduated from King's College with a degree in criminal justice and graduated from the Shippensburg University Masters program in 2005.  She implemented the Youth Aid Panel program in Columbia County in 2003, which is still operating today with many of the original volunteers.  Ms. LaBuda lives in Schuylkill County with her husband and two sons.  In her spare time, she enjoys camping and family activities. 

 PCCJPO Committee Spotlight

Safety Committee

“Statewide Committee focusing its efforts to provide “Best Practices" to enhance officer safety”
 

Since the turn of the century the realities of a juvenile probation officer’s safety has become more prevalent and somewhat commonplace, nationally and in the Commonwealth. So understandably, probation officer safety has become a growing concern nationally in many jurisdictions. As per the National Center for Juvenile Justice, one-third of juvenile probation officers have reported an assault by someone on their caseload. Nearly half have stated that they are "concerned" about personal safety on the job. Therefore, a probation officer must be in tune with their surroundings and be especially aware of officer safety issues, both in the field and at the office. Consideration like the placement of desks in an office, whether to work with a partner in the field, the time of day that field visits are conducted, what safety equipment officers should possess and what force would a reasonable officer at the scene have used under the circumstances, are all strategic when officer safety is a priority. These are some of the many questions that juvenile probation departments are seeking answers to.
 

Click here to read more