Relaunched PA Youth & Public Safety Caucus announces public safety initiative
Allegheny County Delegation July 1, 2025 | 12:45 PM
HARRISBURG, July 1 – State Reps. Carol Kazeem and Heather Boyd, both D-Delaware, and Andre Carroll, D-Phila., of the relaunched bipartisan House PA Youth & Public Safety Caucus on Monday announced a public safety initiative in Harrisburg.
Kazeem is the caucus chair; Boyd and Carroll are the caucus’ co-chairs.
The caucus’ new statewide initiative will examine current safety and resources outcomes for Pennsylvania youth with the goal of using the findings to propose policies and/or resources that will improve the safety and well-being of the commonwealth’s young people.
The initiative will serve as a bipartisan, collaborative effort to advance meaningful policy change through strategic partnerships with youth-led organizations, law enforcement, emergency medical services, family advocates, and community leaders, the legislators said.
The caucus’ initiative is based on the work of the Pennsylvania Juvenile Justice Task to reform the juvenile justice system that was published in 2021. The caucus’ work will utilize the task force’s 35 data-driven recommendations as the basis of their study on how to improve outcomes for youth and ensure community safety.
House members and subject matter experts spoke about the necessity for the caucus’ work: “The relaunch of the caucus is a renewal of our promise as legislators to listen to the concerns of our young people, to advocate for their future, and create policies that will protect and empower them,” Kazeem said. “Youth and public safety are not separate issues; they are deeply intertwined.
“Our caucus will give our youth a seat at the table to discuss the policies impacting them, in areas such as juvenile justice, education, and workforce development. Our youth need to feel that they have a stake in Pennsylvania’s future, a future in which they are front and center, not at the margins. This, in turn, will create safer communities for all throughout the commonwealth.
“Our bipartisan first statewide initiative will partner with the commonwealth’s leading subject matter experts to pinpoint and propose evidence-based solutions to improve the juvenile justice process. Our aim is to enhance processes and expand resources to give kids who are struggling the right intervention at the right time. These kids -- and their families, communities and the commonwealth as a whole -- will all benefit if they can learn how to become better citizens and productive members of society while being given a second chance at life.”
“Pennsylvania’s children are our future, and their wellbeing and success should be at the heart of our policy making,” said Joanna McClinton, D-Phila. speaker of the PA House. “Young people have great ideas for improving public safety in our communities, and I look forward to partnering with youth-led organizations and other stakeholders to craft policies responsive to the needs of our young people.”
“Our communities in Philadelphia, and across the commonwealth are paying the price for a juvenile justice system that too often relies on incarceration rather than prevention and support,” Caroll said. “Through this bipartisan caucus, we are committed to examining what works in these communities across the state, whether it is community-based services or partnerships with youth-led organizations and rec centers. Our goal is to turn our research into proactive policy change. Every young Pennsylvanian deserves the opportunity to get help at the right moment, stay out of the revolving door of juvenile delinquency, and work toward a future where young people can thrive -- no matter their race, gender, ethnicity, or background.”
“I'm honored to co-chair this re-launch of the Youth and Safety Caucus,” Boyd said. “It’s our duty as lawmakers to prioritize the safety and well-being of our youth. To do so, this caucus will follow data-driven, research-based policies that lead with both compassion and fairness.
“We appreciate the hard work of the advocates, our fellow legislators and the work of the PA Juvenile Justice Task Force who have set a strong road map for us. Let's prioritize the wellbeing of our youth, let's protect their rights, and let's build a justice system that recognizes our young people's capacity to grow and change."
“Our children are our future,” said state Rep. Melissa Shusterman, D-Chester, former chair of the PA Youth & Safety Caucus. “And that absolutely includes the children in our Commonwealth who go through our juvenile detention system. We must invest in these children to ensure they are equipped to have successful futures -- where they will participate in our economy and contribute meaningfully in their communities.”
“We cannot talk about public safety for young people without confronting the harm caused by our juvenile justice system,” said state Rep. Emily Kinkead, D-Allegheny. “It’s been nearly five years since a bipartisan state taskforce made 35 recommendations for improving outcomes in Pennsylvania’s juvenile justice system -- and we have failed to enact any of those recommendations. I’m glad to join the re-launch of the PA Youth & Public Safety Caucus for this session and look forward to advancing the CARE Package for Juvenile Justice to reduce recidivism and create greater opportunities for our kids.”
“This initiative is a crucial step to reimagining how we support young people across Pennsylvania,” said state Rep. Dan Miller, D-Allegheny. “By examining the safety, wellbeing, and resources available to our youth, we aim to build a more equitable and effective system -- one that truly reflects their needs and potential.”
"Education is a critical component of a child’s health and well-being. Yet youth in our juvenile justice system continue to be deprived of access to a quality education – a fundamental right guaranteed to them by our state constitution," said Maura McInerney, legal director of the Education Law Center-PA. "By denying our youth in the juvenile justice system a quality education, we not only deprive them of a high school diploma -- we limit their lifelong opportunities and their ability to achieve economic prosperity and success, thereby pushing them closer toward the criminal justice system."
“Juvenile justice reform is long overdue in Pennsylvania. We look forward to working with the Youth & Public Safety Caucus to make the youth justice system safer for kids,” said Stephanie Arbutina, vulnerable youth policy director at Children First.
“We know too many youth are brought into the juvenile legal system for minor offenses, and that youth in the system face a variety of harms that will follow them well into adulthood,” said Malik Pickett, senior attorney, Juvenile Law Center. “Our youth, families, and communities in Pennsylvania deserve better, and the Youth & Public Safety Caucus presents an opportunity to do just that. We applaud Representatives Kazeem, Boyd, and Carroll for their commitment to improving the lives of youth in Pennsylvania.”
More details are available by contacting Kazeem’s district office by phone at 610-876-6420 or by email at RepKazeem@pahouse.net.