Released: June 3, 2021
During its June 2 public meeting, Delaware County Council unanimously voted to approve the creation of a new oversight board for Juvenile Detention. The vote was proceeded by a second reading of an ordinance calling on the creation of the board.
Council first introduced the creation of an oversight board for the Juvenile Detention during its May 5 meeting, in the aftermath of the closure of the facility in Lima. Built on the successful model of the Jail Oversight Board, which oversees the George W. Hill Correctional Facility, the new 10-member Delaware County Board of Managers of Juvenile Detention will consist of three members of Council, the County Controller, and six members of the public. Three members of the public will be appointed by County Council and three by the President Judge of Delaware County’s Court of Common Pleas. Members of the public were encouraged to submit resumes after the announcement on May 5.
“The formation of this board is happening at an extraordinary time as it relates to criminal justice,” said Delaware County Councilman Kevin Madden. “It’s an area that people across the nation are really rethinking. There has been this mindset of separating the good from the bad, and the bad get put in places where we don’t see or hear them, and they are perceived as irredeemable- but that mindset has shifted. The formation of this board of managers allows Delco to focus on our youth and those who are not destined to a fate of perpetual incarceration and will allow us to help get them back on their feet and be healthy and productive members of the community.”
Councilman Madden also noted the budgetary benefits of the creation of the new board, noting that the County currently spends approximately $15 million on housing children at the Juvenile Detention Center and shifting the goal to rehabilitation is also a cost savings to taxpayers.
During the June 2 meeting Council appointed the following volunteer members to the board:
Three Delaware County Council Member Designees:
Kevin Madden
Elaine Schaefer
Dr. Monica Taylor
Delaware County Controller, Joanne Phillips
Appointments by Delaware County Council:
Chris Eiserman
Chekemma J. Fulmore Townsend
Marie N. Williams
Appointments by President Judge Kevin Kelly:
Candice L. Linehan
Christine Ricks-Fletcher
Nathaniel C. Nichols
Board members will begin meeting this summer. Meeting times and locations will be determined by the Board.