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The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer
National
Samantha Melamed and Anna Orso

Judge orders state Human Services to accept Philly teens from chaotic, overcrowded detention center

PHILADELPHIA — A Commonwealth Court judge has ordered Pennsylvania state officials to take custody of 15 children currently living at a juvenile detention facility in Philadelphia that the city says is dangerously overcrowded and understaffed. They’re among 135 statewide on a waiting list to receive court-ordered treatment at state placements called Youth Development Centers.

The order, issued Thursday by Judge Ellen Ceisler, requires the state Department of Human Services to transfer the children within 10 days to either a new state-run facility that is set to open in Pittston or a private facility in Texas.

“From what I heard earlier they are not getting any services, education, anything,” Ceisler said during a Wednesday hearing, describing current conditions at the Philadelphia Juvenile Justice Services Center (PJJSC). “From what I heard, there is nothing happening for the young folks at the PJJSC.”

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