Youth program matches punishment with crime
Instead of a slap on the wrist, Brownsville youths who run afoul of the law are being put to work. And, in at least some cases, they are working to undo the damage they caused in the first place. The change is a result of the Brownsville Youth Commission, which works in conjunction with the Fayette County Juvenile Probation Office. Under the program, first-time offenders of non-violent crimes are referred to the commission, which is made up of adult volunteers. The volunteers work with the troubled teens and try to come up with appropriate punishments so that kids see the error of their ways first hand.
“We want the punishment to fit the crime,’ said Mike Lukac, a juvenile probation officer, who coordinates the commission.
“In some cases, of course matching punishment to crime is not possible, but my (police) chief is excellent with making the punishment fit the crime,” said Lukac.
He noted one recent case. A teen had damaged property in the wharf area and was referred to the youth commission. Lukac said he approached Brownsville Mayor Norma Ryan and asked how the teen could fulfill his requirement and help the borough.
“The ideal thing was to have the teen fix the damaged area,” said Lukac.
The teen, along with seven other teen offenders were assigned to repair all the damages caused to the wharf area. It took only one afternoon after school to complete the project.
“That’s what made this case in Brownsville particularly nice,’ said Lukac. “The borough was very pleased.”
The cost of the materials used to fix the damage came to approximately $1,000, according to Lukac. It would have been optimal to have the teen’s fine meet the amount of materials used to fix the damages, however the family could not afford the fine. The commission paid for the materials and then put the teen to work.
“Although he could not pay, we made a conscious effort to make him work off the debt,” said Lukac.
Ryan and Lukac both said the teens involved in this project were surprisingly positive and willing to work.
“They (the teens) are eager to do and help,” said Ryan. “They work with adults to teach them the importance of the law so they won’t continue in a life of crime. The people that serve on the youth commission have such skill with these kids that they teach them this is right. I was very pleased the youth commission took this case.”
“The kids had fun,” said Lukac, referring to the instance at the wharf. “We made an afternoon of it.”
In other cases, teen offenders have been assigned to PennDOT’s “Summer Litter Brigade,” where they clean the highways.
They have also been assigned to keep Luzerne Park in Brownsville litter free.
“We use community service as a means to make the kids accountable to the community,” said Lukac.