EASTON, Pa. — A staff shortage at Northampton County’s Juvenile Justice Center has begun to ease, but has not been resolved, administrators told a County Council committee Wednesday.
While the shortfall is not as severe as during the depths of the staffing crisis, County Court Administrator Jermaine Greene said, the center lacks enough youth care workers, the front-line staff directly responsible for children held there.
"It's also the right thing to do.”Northampton County Court Administrator Jermaine Greene
Amid a statewide shortage of juvenile detention and treatment beds, the facility still is turning away kids from outside the county seeking placement — two to four a day typically, Court Fiscal Administrator Badaoui Boulos said.
That's down from a year and a half ago, Boulos said.
Northampton County has signed contracts with 15 nearby counties to take their kids, provided the center has enough space. If fully staffed, the center can house 36 children in detention and 48 in secure treatment.
Greene told the county council's Courts and Corrections Committee on Wednesday that, if it were running at capacity, the center could essentially turn a profit for the county.
“I want to be clear, it's not revenue to make money at this point," Greene said. "It’s to offset our county contribution. But it's also the right thing to do.”
Officials blame low salaries
Currently, 22 of the center’s youth care worker positions are unfilled — about half its full complement, Greene said. That's down from 33 openings a year ago, he said.
The progress comes in part by waiving requirements late last year, with permission from the state Department of Public Welfare, for new hires to have completed 60 college credits.
Instead, applicants without college credits will need at least one year of experience working with children in a comparable setting, as certified by the DPW.
“North of $20 [per hour], that's competitive."Northampton County Juvenile Justice Center Director JaMarr Billman
Starting Jan. 1, center administrators began hiring temporary contractors from Corporate Protective Services, adding 10 employees to the count by the end of this week.
Juvenile Justice Center administrators have long blamed low salaries for their recruiting woes, and have struggled to raise pay.
A new contract negotiated with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees gave youth care workers a roughly 80-cent hourly raise.
The new $18-or-so starting wage is not enough to compete with other facilities in the area, Juvenile Justice Center Director JaMarr Billman said.
“North of $20 [per hour], that's competitive,” he said.
A path to advance careers
County officials are waiting for AFSCME to approve a memorandum of understanding to create a new assistant supervisor role at the Juvenile Justice Center, which falls between supervisors and youth care workers in their existing hierarchy.
The new position, Billman said, will give youth care workers a clear track to a more senior, better-paid position — a path to advance their careers within the center.
“It's going to attract more [employees] into the facility, but more importantly, it adds a layer for our staff and supervisors. I think that step was a needed step to have because it promotes growth within our facility.”Northampton County Juvenile Justice Center Director JaMarr Billman
“It's going to attract more [employees] into the facility, but more importantly, it adds a layer for our staff and supervisors,” Billman said.
“I think that step was a needed step to have because it promotes growth within our facility.”
Aside from letting the center house more kids, hiring more staff also reduces the need for mandatory overtime, making the center a more pleasant place to work, he said.
