Committee Hearing, December 1, 2004

COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC HEARING COMMITTEES ON PARKS RECREATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS and EDUCATION - - - - Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Wednesday, December 1, 2004 10:15 a.m. - - - - RESOLUTION 040826 - Resolution authorizing the Committee on Parks Recreation & Cultural Affairs and the Committee on Education to hold joint hearings on the state of young people in the City of Philadelphia. PRESENT: COUNCILWOMAN BLONDELL REYNOLDS BROWN, Chair COUNCILWOMAN JANNIE BLACKWELL, Chair COUNCILMAN W. WILSON GOODE, JR, Vice Chair COUNCILMAN JACK KELLY COUNCILMAN MICHAEL NUTTER COUNCILMAN DARRELL CLARKE - - - - V A R A L L O Incorporated Litigation Support Services Eleven Penn Center 1835 Market Street, Suite 600 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103 215.561.2220 215.567.2670 2 I N D E X RESOLUTION 040826 KATHLEEN MULLER, Recreation.......... VICTOR RICHARD, Recreation Commissioner 6 CHERYL RANSOM-GARNER, Human Services Commissioner....................... 19 7 JOHN DOMZALSKI, Health Commissioner.... 31 LYNNE ABRAHAM, District Attorney....... 68 8 MARIO D'ADAMO, JUVENILE PROBATION...... 85 JAMES SHARP, JUVENILE PROBATION........ 87 9 REV. BILL WOLF........................ 120 NANCY WOLF............................ 124 10 SHIRA MATOS........................... 128 SHELLY YANOFF, PCCY................... 129 11 EILEEN BROWN, Grands as Parents....... 152 CURTIS CLARK, Youth Study Center...... 158 12 MICHAEL MCCREA, Philadelphia Recreation Advisory Council.................. 159 13 JIM HELLMAN........................... 165 JAMES SHARP, Juvenile Probation....... 166 14 15 3 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826

Good morning. The City Council Committee on Parks Recreation and Cultural Affairs and the City Council Committee on Education are now in a public hearing to hear testimony on Resolution No. 7 040826. The Councilmembers joining us this morning are the Chair of the Education Committee, Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell; the Vice Chair of the Committee on Parks Recreation and Cultural Affairs, Councilman W. Wilson Goode, Jr. I will ask the Clerk to please read the title of the Resolution 040826.

Resolution 040826, authorizing the Committee on Parks Recreation & Cultural Affairs and the Committee on Education to hold joint hearings on the state of young people in the City of Philadelphia.

Before I get to my very brief prepared remarks, let me say thank you for the important work you do on behalf of kids. I appreciate you responding to my legislative aide, David Ford's request 4 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 that you come and share with us where you are and what you're doing in the area of providing services for kids and the testimony you will give us which my goal is that it will inform how and what we can do better on this side of the table as we look to the next budget cycle. I want to thank you, everyone, for coming today. And again, a very, very special thanks to my colleague and Chair of the Education Committee, Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell for co-sponsoring this resolution 13 and agreeing to hold a joint hearing between the Committees of Parks Recreation and Cultural Affairs and the Committee on Education. I asked for these hearings today because it is important for all of us who care about our young people to stop at different junctures and take a comprehensive look and analytical assessment on what we're doing. We need to see if for sure what we're doing right and talk about what other cities are doing. We need to hear about best practices in other cities as it relates to the challenges we're 5 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 facing with our young people today and then, hopefully, look for opportunities for ultimately what needs to happen as systems change. There are fewer resources so we're forced to think smarter and work differently in the environment of fewer limited resources. And I always believe that looking at the glass is half full. Consider these facts as we look at the glass half full: Since 1995, the infant mortality rate has dropped percent in our City. So 13 we salute the Health Department for that. The 14 pregnancy rate for women age 15 through 17 has 15 also dropped 35 percent since 1995. Child 16 abuse cases has dropped 40 percent since 1995, 17 a huge undertaking by DHS. 18 And if we're realistic, we also have 19 to see the glass is half empty. What gaps do 20 we need to fill? 21 The number of juvenile arrests for 22 drug offenses in 2003 was 80 percent higher 23 than 1996. Homicides of young people ages 7 24 through 17 increased by 67 percent in 2003, 25 the highest level ever since 1997. Nearly 45 6 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 percent of 9th graders still did not graduate in four years. The City of Philadelphia has limited resources and so it is important that we properly target what we have programatically. Today, we will hear from you on how best to accomplish this. So I thank you all again for your attendance, for the time you take to prepare your testimony and for your anticipated verbal testimony. I will ask as you are called to please come to the table, state your name and then please make every effort to limit your testimony to three to five minutes. If you have testimony that is beyond that, then feel free to leave it. You can be assured it will be read because, again, the goal is to have your testimony inform us about what we need to do differently or better from a public policy perspective. With that, we will commence. I will ask my Co-Chair to bring up the first panel.

May I say, Madam Chair, these are the best hearings 7 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 because you did all the work although I'm Co-Chair so we thank you and all those who are here.

It's great to have folks who philosophically agree with where you are. It makes going down the road that more comfortable. So let's invite Police Commissioner Victor Richard and Kathleen Muller, the after school manager for the Department of Recreation; Commissioner Cheryl Ransom-Garner, our Commissioner for the Department of Human Services; and our Health Commissioner, Commissioner John Domzalski, if you would please come to the witness table. Let's start, if we would, with Commissioner Victor Richard and your Deputy Commissioner Kathleen Muller.

Good morning. My name is Kathleen Muller and I'm with the Recreation Department in the capacity of Recreation District Manager in charge of the after school programs. Thank you, Councilwoman Reynolds Brown, Councilwoman Blackwell, and Councilman 8 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 Goode for commencing these hearings. Young people in Philadelphia face insurmountable challenges. They bear witness to violence at school, on the street, and in their homes. The number of handguns on the street is beyond comprehension. Chaos rules their lives. They're engaging in promiscuous behavior and they act impulsively without regard to the consequences of their actions. Many cannot even imagine graduating from high school or becoming an adult. However, the picture is not entirely bleak. The Recreation Department offers a plethora of safe, structured activities for young people during their out-of-school times. This past summer the Department operated over 150 day camps for children. Specialty camps challenged the skills of older youth. Youth from throughout Philadelphia chose from visual arts, performing arts, aquatics and various sports camps. Camp William Penn in the beautiful Pocono Mountains provides a wonderful respite for our children. Camp William Penn is expanding programming 9 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 opportunities with the additions of a ropes physical challenge course and especially theme Latino family reunion event. More than 80 swimming pools provide a relief from the hot streets of the City. With mandatory drug testing and adhering to national certification standards, the Department of Recreation pools are among the safest in the country. Taught recreation programs fully prepare young people for kindergarten. Recreation after school programs have been in operation since 1996. Currently over a hundred programs operate in almost every neighborhood in Philadelphia. Several programs are collaborations with faith-based institutions. Several peaceful posse programs are led by specially trained men in the department. Research has shown that hurt people hurt others. This program is designed for boys ages 8 to 15. It begins to address the violence that these boys experience every day in their lives. The goal is to break the 10 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 circle of violence by providing a safe venue for them to discuss their feelings and issues that trouble them. Sixteen centers operate in conjunction with the youth violence reduction partnership. Programs on the topic of conflict resolution and bullying prevention are presented to youth and teens in recreation settings. By a reinforcing these concepts, young people are kinder and more tolerant of those who are different or have different opinions. Every young person who worked at playgrounds and recreation centers last summer received training in those areas. Many wrote essays detailing how they used their bullying prevention skills. They handled difficult situations with confidence and poise. In addition, they felt good about the outcomes, and they will carry these skills into other areas of their lives. Dance classes, painting, sculpture, crafts, soccer, basketball, tumbling, gymnastics, tennis, and computer programs take place every afternoon in playgrounds and recreation centers throughout Philadelphia. 11 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 And I would be remiss if I did not mention that the Department serves many Philadelphia residents with disabilities. Carousel House is a recreation center specifically designed for people with disabilities. While Carousel House is extensively utilized, many parents prefer an inclusive recreation program for their children. With minimal support, staff creates opportunities for youth with disabilities to participate at their neighborhood center in the same camps and activities as their typical peers.

This provides a positive experience for the child with the disability, our staff, and most notably the typical kids who experience empathy, tolerance, and friendship. These programs would not operate without the support of kind caring adults. Trained, experience staff work with volunteers to offer recreational, prevention-based activities for young people. The current trend is for social service agencies to provide recreational and prevention programming. In reality, recreation programs 12 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 have always been prevention programs. The department invests in training programming for seasonal staff. After school staff are required to have their valid Pennsylvania State Police criminal background check and their child line clearances. Staff must possess current CPR and first aid certifications. They must complete hours 10 of training before they begin working with the 11 children. And in addition, their required to 12 participate in an additional 12 hours of training and staff development programs by the end of the school year. This is a total 24 hours training so that these folks are eligible to return the following year. The training topics include but they're not limited to health, safety and documentation, identification of child and sexual abuse, core standards for youth programs and activities training, bullying prevention technics, partnerships with parents and caregivers, community partnerships, crafts and games. The Search Institute has identified strengthening factors that increase children's 13 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 chances for success. The presence of an adult who is involved in a child's way in a positive manner supports a young person. It increases their potential for success at school, relationships, and life. Staff hired for seasonal positions in camps, pools, and after school programs are recruited directly from the neighborhoods where they serve. They understand the complexities, cultures, and dynamics of their neighborhoods. Most know the youth they serve. Under the leadership of professional staff with proper training, these folks are some of our valuable resources. I'd like to briefly tell you about a woman who works at one of our facilities as a seasonal person. There's a playground in Germantown and this lady is over 70 years old. She operates the after school program and she's worked with the Department for approximately five years. Most of the children who attend this particular program are being raised by their grandparents. And at the end of the day, everyone puts on their jackets and they begin a walk through the 14 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 neighborhood. The children are walked to their homes and the journey ends with the last grandparent making sure that Ms. Constance, the after school leader, arrives safely on her porch. Two nights a week she returns to run a teen program and she teaches boys to cook. She's there unconditionally to serve youth in her neighborhood. And at a recent training, one of the rookie rock staff members complained that she had a difficult time handling the children. And Ms. " This woman really understands how to support kids and what they really need. She's also willing to share her knowledge with the other staff. While Ms. Constance is special, she's also reflective of the many kind and caring adults who interact with youth in our programs. The staff in the Recreation Department truly cares about the welfare of young people in Philadelphia. Many volunteer beyond their pay shifts. They purchase 15 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 program supplies and food for the children. They agree to supervise numerous youth in court-assigned community service placement. And this certainly requires additional time and increased vigilance as it impacts on the overall safety of the youth in the centers. It would be easy to refuse to deal with troubled youth. However, we know that adults need to support all children, our community of children in Philadelphia.

This way all youth have an opportunity to become successful and productive citizens in our great City. Thank you.

Thank you for your testimony. I will ask all of our testifiers to offer their testimony for the record and then we'll move to Q and A. Commissioner Victor Richard has testimony as well. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Good morning, Madam Chair, Councilman Goode and Councilwoman Blackwell. I want to begin by first of all echoing Kathy and saying thank you very much 16 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 for bringing us together to discuss these issues and give us an opportunity to present some of the things that we're doing to make quality of life better. For the record, my name is Vic Richard and I'm the Recreation Commissioner for the City of Philadelphia. The core mission of the Philadelphia Department of Recreation is to provide clean and safe recreation facilities that improve the quality of life in our local neighborhoods. Spotless and secure facilities contribute to the quality of life by encouraging participation from local residents to engage in constructive recreational activities. Parks and play areas are common ways to promote social interaction from neighborhood residents while building communities and encouraging volunteerism. The benefits of well-maintained recreation centers largely relate to decreases in crime and blight and increases in property values, retention of our local residents, and attraction of new homeowners. 17 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 All of these factors are essential to the stabilization of the local economy which provides funding for improved services including schools, libraries, sanitation, police and fire. The NRPA, the National Recreation and Parks Association research shows that 4 out of 5 Americans use their local parks or recreation systems. And 70 percent have a park or recreation facility within walking distance of their home. Good park and recreation facilities don't just happen. They need support from the neighborhoods, from the cities, state, and the federal government. They require professional care and financial support to keep them clean, safe and suitable for our communities. One of the goals of the Philadelphia Department of Recreation is to become a gold medal maintenance organization through the National Recreation and Park Association. This goal will be achieved by implementing world class maintenance strategies. Gold medal departments always adheres to safety 18 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 standards. The pay attention to detail. They keep facilities clean. And they adhere to the national safety standards and compliance. A gold medal department invests in back-up systems, spare parts for equipment so the customer is never inconvenienced. They purchase high quality durable equipment and materials at the best possible rate. Preventative maintenance is a standard procedure for gold medal maintenance departments. The appearance of all facilities is neat and clean every day. The gold medal maintenance system adheres to OSHA and to EPA regulations and implements conservation technics to protect and preserve the environment. The department knows when in-house capabilities are limited and relies on expert for help. Gold medal departments repair vandalism immediately to reduce further vandalism by other parties. The Philadelphia Department of Recreation continues to strive to off gold medal maintenance service to support the recreation programs at all 150 19 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 recreation facilities. The goal is to continue to enhance and improve the current level of services and receive gold medal accreditation from the National Recreations and Parks Association. Today, with difficult budget restraints, it has become a greater challenge to maintain and protect these sites. However, it is one of the most important investments we can make in improving the quality of life for the children, the families in our Philadelphia. I want, once again, say thank you for your leadership and the opportunity to serve our great City.

I thank you for your testimony. We'll now move to Commissioner Ransom-Garner please. COMMISSIONER RANSOM-GARNER: Good morning, Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown, Councilwoman Blackwell and Councilman Goode. Thank you for this opportunity. It's a pleasure to be here to present testimony to 20 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 support these hearings and to provide information on our successes and what continues to be needed for our young people. For the record, I'm Cheryl Ransom-Garner, Commissioner for the Department of Human Services. This morning, I will present to you brief testimony on several of the Department's recent successful outcomes for children and will also share with you details on areas where challenges remain and new or adjusted programming is required. Raising children today can be demanding. And as they face dangers and risks that some of us as kids never imagine. There are drug dealers waging what are our or streets. Many parents are unemployed and underemployed and struggling to make ends meet. We have teen mothers trying to raise a child with little or no education while battling addiction and homelessness. And uninsured families are common place. As outlined in Philadelphia Safe and Sound's annual report card, the well-being of children and youth in Philadelphia and regularly on the 21 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 evening news, our children are danger and clearly more needs to be done. According to the 2004 report card ratings the indicator measuring a child's environment, children and youth living in safe supportive communities and environments receive this year's lowest rating of problematic and is the most daunting challenge facing the City in its efforts to improve the lives of children. The data demonstrates that Philadelphia is unsafe for many children and youth and that too many young people are turning to crime. The number of juveniles victimized by major crime has increase since 1998. A recent increase in major crimes against juveniles was driven by a rise in violent crimes like murder, rape, and aggravated assault. The number of juveniles arrested for drug-related offenses in 2003 was 80 percent higher than in 1996. The number of reported assaults in public schools in the 2002-2003 school year was more than double in number in 1995. The more vigorous reporting 22 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 of incidents has contributed to this increase. The most troubling aspect of the most recent safety data is the number of homicides of young people from age to 24. This number 6 has declined to a low of 111 in 2002, 30 7 percent below the 160 homicides in 1996. But the figure increased to 136 in 2003, cutting in half the improvement made since 1996 in just one year. Despite the horrifying numbers and the circumstances that many of our families face, often affected by multiple issues, we are making progress through collaborative efforts. Over the past several years, DHS has joined forces with other City agencies and private organizations working collaboratively and strategically to produce successful outcomes. 5 percent for the period ending 9/30/03. 05 percent and well below the federal standards 23 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 1 percent. Fiscal Year 2004 saw a 30 percent increase in permanencies with 2,813 total children exiting the child welfare system, results representative of the collaborative relationship between the Office of the City Solicitor, Family Court and DHS. The creation of the Achieving Independence, AI, in partnership with the Philadelphia Workforce Development Corporation serves as a one-stop center for older youth foster care helping them make the transition to a successful adulthood. Currently, the AI Center has more than 600 members, all of whom have received assistance in meeting their education and employment goals.

Recently, the Department of Human Services and the Department of Public Health kicked off a public education campaign to reach people about the dangers of sleeping with their infants and of not placing their infants on their backs to sleep. Another excellent example of bringing communities together can be seen 24 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 within DHS's Division of Community Based Prevention Services who is working with community-based organizations in every corner of the City. Together, we are providing services that help parents to reunite with their children, educating first-time parents as well as grandparents and fathers on the challenges of raising kids today. Together with the School District, we are tackling the problem of truancy, and often uncovering additional issues within the home that have led to this truant behavior. Over the past four years. A network of after school youth development and recreational programs have been created across the City to help children safe and engaged in constructive learning activities during the hours when they are out of school. This array of services which is reaching as many as 34,000 children each year is being delivered through traditional after school programs in schools, City recreation centers, churches and other sites, Beacon Schools which are school-based community centers serving 25 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 children, their families and other members of the community, Teen Centers, Police Athletic League Centers, and all 55 branches of the Free Library. For the children in these programs, this time spent off the streets may actually be lifesaving. However, many Philadelphia children do not make it to school on a regular basis. Chronic truancy continues to be a problem of considerable concern to the Philadelphia community. Despite recent progress in reducing the numbers through a collaborative effort of the School District of Philadelphia, the Department of Human Services and Philadelphia Family Court. The Department has worked closely with the School District to identify and provide services to youth in the early stages of truancy. DHS has also implemented a number of intensive support and intervention programs for youth whose chronic truancy has put them at high risk of delinquency. Unfortunately, in some cases, even these services have not been sufficient to 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 address the complexity of problems which some of these chronically truant youth and their families face, or to divert the youth from self-destructive and dangerous behavior. When the youth continue to be chronically truant dispute intensive DHS intervention, Family Court has had little alternative but to pull the youth out of the community and home, and send him or her to a residential placement facility. During the six-month period from June 1, 2003 through December 31, 2003, 71 youth, 59 boys and 12 girls, were placed in a residential facility for a minimum of 30 days as a result of chronic unabated truancy. However, there's considerable evidence that current out-of-home placement programs for chronically truant youth have done little to solve the problems faced by the placed youth. DHS is collaborating with Family Court and the School District on a major redesign of our truancy services system. Through this new approach to be implemented in January we will attempt to work with the families of students beginning with their 27 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 third un-excused absence rather than the threshold of or more un-excused absences 4 we've used in the past. We're also working to 5 assure that our full array of community-based 6 resources funded by the Department, 7 representing an investment of over $90 million 8 and over 900 agencies, is brought to the table 9 to support these families. 10 As the violence among Philadelphia's 11 children seems to be growing, DHS is also 12 planning to expand it's Delinquency Prevention 13 Services to help this population.

In FY 2003, 14 DHS established a specialized network of 15 intensive delinquency prevention services 16 called IDP to provide community-based 17 alternatives to placement for youth who are 18 chronically truant, are first-time offenders 19 who are diverted from delinquent adjudication 20 by Family Court, Juvenile Probation, or the 21 District Attorney's Office, are first-time 22 offenders for whom delinquent adjudication is 23 being deferred in favor of community-based 24 services, are youth referred to Family Court 25 for incorrigibility. 28 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 This network was established after a view of outcome data for previous delinquency prevention efforts indicated that they were not reaching the highest risk youth. In addition to new 7 community-based programs established through 8 this initiative, the Department has integrated 9 its broader network of youth development 10 programs, including Reasonable Efforts At 11 Assessment, Achievement and Prevention, 12 Beacons, and various anti-violence initiatives 13 into this effort. 14 This system of care has become the 15 primary placement alternative used by Family Court for chronically truant first-time offenders and informally adjusted and willful youth. An analysis by Family Court comparing outcomes for youth served in the IDP program indicated a significant positive impact on the likelihood of re-offending of the first 493 youth who successfully completed the program. While the Court's use of other diversion approaches, consent decrees, youth aide panels, referral to basic after school 29 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 programs, showed an average re-offending rate of 31 percent within six months of diversion, the rate of re-offending for youth served in IDP programs was only percent over the same 6 period. An analysis of data collected through 7 the Child and Adolescence Needs and Strengths, 8 called CANS, this instrument also showed 9 significant gains IDP youth in the areas of 10 school performance and family functioning. 11 These positives outcomes have 12 created more demand for IDP service for chronically truant and informally adjusted youth. At present, a waiting list of 143 youth exists for the 400 available slots in ID Programs. 5 million to create 400 additional slots in the IDP network in FY 2006. With the addition of these slots, we expect to be able to serve approximately 1200 youth in FY '06. 30 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 DHS is also partnering with the Police Department, the School District and other City agencies and Operation Safe Schools, the new initiative aimed at gathering better intelligence on acts of violence that endanger our children before they happen. Our hope is that in addition to the improved law enforcement that will result from this initiative, we will be able to direct many of these high risk youth to prevention programs that will help them from getting into further trouble. Finally, DHS has revamped the support services it provides to youth returning from delinquent placement so that they can better reintegrate into their families, schools, and communities and to help them resist the temptation to re-offend. Working with Family Court, the School District and the Juvenile Probation Office, DHS has taken the lead in greatly enhancing the supports we provide in youth who have been in delinquent placement and their families to reduce repeat offending. In addition to 31 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 intensive supervision of these youth while they are on probation and linking the family to a variety of health and social services, DHS is also establishing Welcome Home Centers in collaboration with will the Philadelphia Youth Network to help delinquent and other out-of-school youth connect to the educational and employment opportunities that will help them become responsible adults.

This historic collaboration with the Probation Department and Family Court, when matched to ongoing initiatives like the Youth Violence Reduction Partnership, hold great promise for reducing the victimization of young people by other young people and for making our schools and communities safer. Thank you.

Thank you very much for your testimony. We'll hear from Commissioner John Domzalski and then we'll move to questions. COMMISSIONER DOMZALSKI: Good morning, Chairwoman Brown and Chairwoman Blackwell and Councilman Goode. I'm very 32 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 pleased to be here this morning to present testimony on the health and well-being of children. I know that you extended an invitation that we come and that we were permitted to send people in our stead if our schedule was such that wouldn't permit that, but as you see from the representation of the people who are here, we as commissioners believe that this subject -- and perhaps there's no more subject that's more important than this, than the health and well-being of children in our City. For the record, I'm John Domzalski, Health Commissioner. I work in the unit of government that's called under the Managing Director's Office the Division of Social Services Public Health Department. That's a critical distinction and designation which I'll allude to in my remarks. I want to talk briefly about four areas that are very important with regard to the health and welfare of children. But also in and of themselves, as they are emblematic the of the structure of the government that 33 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 they work in and why that structure makes these kinds of accomplishments possible. If we were to have had these hearings three years ago and talk about the four subjects that I'm talking about this morning, we would have a much different picture. With regard to childhood lead poisoning, what was happening is that we had a backlog of 1400 houses in which 2100 lead children lived. And the only thing that was happening to those houses and to those children is that the number of children lead poisoned was increasing at a dramatic rate, and that was the only thing that was changing. With regard to our immunization rate of children, this is children between 18 months of age and 35 months of age, what was happening to our immunization rates, it was plummeting. With regard to sexually transmissible diseases among our children, among our adolescents of 15 to 19 years old, the only thing that was happening there is that we were posting dramatic increases year 34 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 after year. And our children were getting access to tobacco at an alarmingly increased rates. All of that has changed in last two and a half to three years. Clearly, these are all public health initiatives, but my colleagues who work -- and many of them are here with me this morning that are responsible for those programs, I'm extraordinarily grateful to them and proud to be working with them to combat these issues. All of them will recognize that none of these successes would be possible without the leadership that exists in this government to make change not only necessary but a mandate. When Mayor Street took office in his first term, he declared that his first year in office would be the Year of the Child and every year thereafter would also be the Year of the Child. He also created a situation where we would put together those services in the government that do similar things so that we would be able to achieve what other governments and other cities and what we 35 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 talked about decades, and that is to get the synergy that occurs from working together. So all of us as Commissioner that are at this table and many others work together to create these successes. With regard to the childhood lead poisoning program, the number of children who are lead poisoned in this past year has decreased 40 percent from the year before when we were looking at that. We were looking at something over 600 cases a year. We're now down into the 400s and we're screening more children. Not only have we reduced that backlog of cases, but we have not added a single house to the backlog since April of 2002.

With regard to our immunization of children, what we've done is seized on another of the Mayor's initiatives, which is the importance of our neighborhoods in this City, and we've broken our health data down to the neighborhood level. So that instead of talking about immunization rates across the City, we've looked at the immunization rates 36 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 as they exist in the neighborhoods. And once we did that, we were able to see our declining immunization rate, which got as low as 75 percent, dropped from 83 percent high to 75 percent. We found that was the good news because when we looked at the neighborhood data, we saw that there were neighborhoods far below 50 percent. What we did with that data was then strategically organize and re-deploy our resources to the areas of greatest need. Our goal at that point was to stop the decline in those immunization rates. The federal government in this past July has told us, one, not only have you stopped the decline in those immunization rates, but you've turned it around. And our immunization rates now City-wide are 81 percent, and our goal is 90 percent. And that's a collaboration of all our departments as well. With regard to sexually transmissible diseases in children, with the able assistance of our Division of Disease Control and staff in there and the courage of 37 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 Paul Vallas, CEO of the School District, we've partnered to begin to bring sex education and healthy sex behavior instruction into the classroom, into the School District of Philadelphia. In that first year, we were in 57 high schools. We gave education presentations over 30,000 adolescence. And we offered voluntary testing to all of those adolescents. 19,600 of those children elected to be voluntarily tested for STDs. And of that number, we found an astounding 1,052 cases of asymptomatic, undiagnosed, untreated STDs in those children who were sitting in classrooms every day. The result of that is we were able to treat every one of those cases except one. Every one of those children received treatment. And our success with the tobacco program, we're able to decrease the number of children who take up smoking for the first time and begin to post small declines in those areas. The reason all of this is possible, not only do we have the energy in this 38 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 Department of Public Health and the commitment to make this happen, to see really where our people skills need to be used and who they need to benefit, and they need to benefit those children that are out there waiting or receiving service. If it wasn't the commitment of people who have looked at those issues, those children would still be sitting in our public schools with untreated asymptomatic STDs. Our immunization rates would still be declining. And our children -- we'd be sending children to school in increasing numbers who were unable to learn because of decreased cognitive impairment because of being lead poisoned. The lead success requires the partnership of eight City agencies, Department of Human Service, Department of Public Health, Office of Emergency Shelter Services, PHA, the Law Department, the Office of Emergency Voucher Services, PHDC. And it takes all of those individuals to bring together the kind of system that allows us to, one, after we 39 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 diagnose a case of lead poison, to actually go in and be able to offer substitute space to the families so we can go in and do the remediation, and also to be able to have a court system that allows these cases to be heard expeditiously so that we're getting increased numbers of compliance. Our DHS partners help us with referrals when we have families that have a variety of issues and difficulty arranging their lives in order to let us address this very, very difficult issue.

I believe that almost none of that would be possible if it weren't for the ethic that has been created in the Street Administration and implemented in the Managing Director's Office of agencies needing to work together in order to get things done. And I think that's what's been so absolutely special about this. In the Department, we begin to touch the lives of children before they're born in our prenatal clinics in making sure that there's access to prenatal care across the 40 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 City. We see the children as they begin to develop for their well baby visits. We begin to see the children for issues is that develop through adolescence. And none of that would be possible without the intense involvement of our partners here in the government and without the recognition that we as Commissioners work within this structure of the Division of Social Services that makes the collaboration not only possible but necessary. And so there are many, many things we need to continue to do in this way, to continue to improve the health of children, the fact that we have the Office of Safe and Sound that has developed the children's report card, that's been incredibly helpful to us as agencies, particularly in the Department of Public Health, to be able to look at that issue of teenagers and adolescence with STDs and make a commitment to turn that around. In addition to that, with that report card and with the innovation that's also been created in the Street Administration, creating a children's budget 41 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 which actually tracks the resources that are committed to children. Those two documents act as a barometer which we can chart the progress or the lack of progress with regard to our children. Violence is an issue that is out there. There is no question. It is something that is foremost in everyone's mind. There's just absolutely no question about that. It's an area where we in the Department of Public Health have a lot of work to do in order to figure out how we fit in most effectively to all the programs and services. My preliminary belief on that, it is through our use of epidemiologic approach with regard to violence to understand just a specific act of violence and how the actors in that event got to a point in their lives where this happened and to be able to chart that backward, in many of the same ways as been happening with the programs around truancy. Yes, we've got a lot of success that we're able to report and that we're very, very proud of, but we've always got an awful lot to 42 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 do. One, to keep up this level of success because just as soon as we take our eye off the ball, we could be back three years ago with mounting cases of lead poisoning increases numbers of adolescent children with STDs and an immunization rate that continues to plummet. We can't take our eye off that ball. And while we're doing that, we've got to look at those areas that continue to be out there where we need to make additional progress. So I really do appreciate, Councilwoman and Madam Chair, for the opportunity to come and present this testimony this morning.

Let me thank you all again for your testimony. I know and respect the demands on your time so I certainly don't take your presence here for granted. Let me acknowledge -- I would probably give myself a B-plus now with the orchestration of this hearing because one major partner -- and this comes as a result of 43 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 your testimony which is why what you say informs how we proceed on this side. One major partner that I failed to include is Family Court. They deserve to be at this table as we talk through where the linkages are and where the gaps persist and how we attack the factors that are still challenges outlined by the report card. Let me ask a couple of questions and then move to my colleague. With regard to sexually transmitted diseases, that whole effort, are the AI centers involved? COMMISSIONER DOMZALSKI: These are directly in the high school. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: If I can add to that answer as well. When we first began that initiative, we also brought the health workers into the recreation facilities in the neighborhoods and also did testing there and then expanded into the school system.

So is that an opportunity for the process and the effort around sexually transmitted diseases to 44 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 integrate with the AI centers? COMMISSIONER DOMZALSKI: Absolutely. In fact, in those centers, there's no 5 question, we did have some success when we had our screening program at the pools during the summer. We also are in Family Court under the leadership of Judge Myrna Field. We've been in youth study centers. So every venue, every venue is important. But I'll tell you something in terms of just geography and whether it's okay, should we do it at that address or this address. I think the more we can relate to children and get involved and let them have access to information that we may have as adults is incredibly important. About four weeks ago on a Saturday morning, I spent some time at Freedom Theater on North Broad Street with Senator Vincent Hughes. And we had a community conversation, community conversation, talking about -- it was focussed on AIDS because it was part of the National Conference on AIDS that we had here. And we had an audience filled of young 45 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 people. And the questions that they asked -- no question was off limits. And they felt comfortable. The atmosphere that was created by Senator was just excellent and they felt comfortable asking questions that sometimes we're a little bit uncomfortable for the adults in the audience, but we were able to get a response. I think a lot of kids came away from that very well served. The horror of this is that there were about 66 children who took advantage of the HIV testing that was available at Freedom Theater that day. There were two children in that whole group that tested positive. This is highly significant, when you have adolescents 14, 15, 16-year-olds testing positive. So the more we can get out there -- it's a long answer to your question, but yes, we should be everywhere. And we're prepared to do that.

So that's a classic example of where the arts were the hook and once you had their captive attention, you got with the serious issues of that 46 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 nature. The immunization effort, is that tied to OESS? COMMISSIONER DOMZALSKI: Is that what?

The immunizations that you're doing with children, is the Office of Emergency Shelter, the children in the Office of Emergency Shelter linked to that effort in the Health Department? COMMISSIONER DOMZALSKI: Absolutely. We're very focused on the health of children that are in the shelters. In fact, we work with an outreach group that does provide care in the shelters on a daily basis on the immunization as well. And many of the children who are in shelters receive their healthcare, including immunizations, in our health centers.

With regard to the AI centers, are those services strictly for young people who have maxed out of foster care? Or would those services be available 47 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 for young people coming through the Rec Department?

Those services are funded by the federal government and they're specifically for children getting ready to leave the foster care system, starting at age and we can serve them up to 9 age 24. 10

Several years 11 ago, there was a revelation, so to speak, 12 based on research that teens in our City 13 between the ages of 13 and 17 or 15 and 17 14 were not being adequately served. And the 15 Commissioner along with Councilwoman Jannie 16 Blackwell and others created these teen centers. Do you believe they are now beginning to fill the gap that existed 36 months ago? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Thanks for that question. I believe it's the tip of the iceberg. I want to say number 6 or 7 is being retrofitted right now. I'd like to share a success story 48 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 this past summer, as a matter of fact, another success story within the last, I want to say, three weeks. At Rivera Teen Center, which was the first one developed based on the crime statistics of juveniles for the second time in a 14-month period cooperate executives from American Express came back into Rivera and did a presentation, besides a meal, teaching young people in that area how to prepare themselves for a job, taught them how to open a checking account, taught them how to open a savings account. And the fun thing and the most rewarding thing was the young people in the neighborhood asked could they come back. So they asked -- the first time we went to them and asked "What would you like to see?" And then we went to American Express and they sent in a team of their executives and customly designed a program for that age group. And then the young people asked, and the second time happened three weeks ago. This summer, based on your leadership, we were very fortunate to contract with a young lady by the name of Cheryl 49 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 Wallington and her company Evelor which is a national fashion consultant from New York all the way to California. And she brought in a teem and developed a program to teach etiquette and social skills for young ladies from the age of to 17. There were 73 young 8 ladies that went through an eight-week 9 program. And I want to say 64 or 65 10 graduated. 11 So it was the right thing to do. We 12 need to continue to do things. And if I could 13 sum it all up, prevention and exposure is the key, not after the fact. The money needs to be put in the prevention and exposure. Thank you for your question.

You're welcome. My colleagues, questions? Councilman Goode. Before Councilman Goode raises his question, please let us welcome the presence of Councilman Jack Kelly who's joined us as a member of the Committee. Councilman Goode will defer to Council Chairlady Jannie Blackwell. 50 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826

Thank you. Thank you very much. Certainly, we are very impressed with the leadership at our witness table. Certainly, Commissioner Richard has really changed the face of recreation in our City, and these various centers are just phenomenal and the programs we mentioned. I almost couldn't believe it was happening when it was announced. But we're happy to say that they're working so well. And with regard to Commissioner Domzalski, as you know, we work with him in immunizations in schools with OESS and with seniors and have for some years. And, of course, this year the whole immunization issue has been a major one around the country. But we're proud of the work that we do in schools. We've come a long way from the days when we had health emergencies and nobody knew what to do. We've come a long way in that regard. And we're certainly also looking forward to -- and Commissioner Ransom knows this -- a new center, Thurgood Marshall Youth 51 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 Center so we can help youngsters -- we're working through that to help youngsters who have problems to be able to have a more positive and upgraded environment. These are rough times. With the crime increased in schools, we have to seriously deal with it because having children leave schools is one thing, but where they go and how they treat it and what we do to help them become productive citizens is another. So we thank you all for your leadership and certainly commend you for your commitment to our City and to its citizens. Thank you.

Thank you, Council Chairlady. Councilman Goode.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you all for your testimony and for the work you're doing. I took particular interest in Commissioner Ransom-Garner's testimony about the homicide rate of young people 7 to 24. And thank you for the update 52 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 up to 2003. I was wondering have you had any year-to-date numbers for 2004? COMMISSIONER RANSOM-GARNER: Certainly, the Police Commissioner has that information. There's a new -- we've been working with the Safe Schools Project, so that information we can make available to you.

Thank you.

I would be remiss not to acknowledge the presence and the good work of both JoAnn Lawer with Safe and Sound and Debra Kahn, our Secretary for Education who is a part of this thread that we have here when it comes to improving the lives of children and youth. I want thank you for your presence. In closing, for each you, if you had identify one or too gaps that you belive our City should better and/or differently as we move forward, what would they be. COMMISSIONER RANSOM-GARNER: I'd like to talk about youth violence, and this is an issue that's growing and it's concerning many of us. And I continue to state it's a 53 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 community issue. It's one that we must all be involved in as a community, our clergy, our neighbors, our parents, these departments, Council people. We all have to ban together to address the problem, work together to do it and continue to support our prevention programs, as Commissioner Richard indicated. Prevention is very important. There's different intensity levels around prevention. We need to get out there to support parents. Parents need to be supported with their children. When we look at truancy, we're finding that there's truancy with children in grade school. It's not the little children; it's their parents. When we get in there and we work with those families, we're able to address their issues so that they can support their children. So I ask that we come together as a community to work together to deal with these problems in our City for our young people.

Commissioner Domzalski. COMMISSIONER DOMZALSKI: Thank you, 54 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 Madam Chair. I've listed three. One certain at the top of my list is violence. And I want to commend Joann Lawer. She and I have talked about this at some length, and she has just in the last several days put together an outline of a plan for going forward where I think the genius of the plan is, one, that it exists; and two, that it builds in agencies across the board that may be doing things but in a piecemeal way so that we be able to bring that work together in a structured way so we might understand the issue and understand where it makes sense for us to intervene first in the lives of our most precious asset in this community, which is our children. So I thank JoAnn for that. We're really anxious and looking forward to getting that underway.

So am I. COMMISSIONER DOMZALSKI: I think we need to interact with children. And just that one example -- and I don't want to generalize a particular on this. But just having ourselves open to children and being involved in their lives, having an access, having those 55 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 children access to adults. One of the things that has come out of our struggle with the issue of co-sleeping -- we appreciate the Department of Human Services on this and certainly Naomi Post on this and the Maternity Care Coalition. We put together a real time review of each of these infant deaths that we're looking at. And what we found in this is just -- on the strength of nine cases that we looked at so far, just how troubled the lives are of the adults in these situations. One that is just branded in my mind is of a 18-year-old whose 3-month-old infant died and she's the mother of a 2-year-old. Here we have an adolescent that's involved in a child giving birth to children. And she herself has a lot of drug involvement and a lot of need for structure and some supports in her life. So we've got to be looking at these things on the front end. And before we discharge an infant from a hospital, we need to find some way to understand what the environment is that that infant is going to and what the needs are of that household in which they may be going, 56 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 because they're very, very dramatic. And I think the third area through all of this is communication, that we all need to know what we are all doing and what we think we are doing and why we think that has value toward addressing a particular problem. And wouldn't it be maybe more valuable and more effective if we were somehow put all of the work and effort on the table so we can work with each other's strengths so that we end up with a program, whether it's lead, immunization, STD, tobacco and violence, that we end up with a product that best benefits our children.

Thank you. Very instructive. Commissioner or Kathleen Muller.

I echo Commissioner Ransom and Commissioner Domzalski's concerns. We really belive that youth violence is absolutely one of the greatest challenges that we're facing right now. And we have heard about some success stories. And I think in the past what we've done is we've really 57 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 focussed on the most dire communities where the highest crime statistics and other factors are completely out of control. And what I would do at this point is start focussing on some of the emerging neighborhoods where we start to see the crime statistics rise, we start to see truancy rates increase and kids getting arrested for the first time. And what I would do is really try to find a way to introduce more adults that care about kids and care about them in a proper way, whether it's bringing in the Evelor program or prevention-based programs, that there are more adults that are interacting with the kids so that we can begin to turn this tide before it gets away from us. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: Real short. Prevention and influence and development. It's where all of the money needs to take place. All of the young people today need or look for a sense of belonging. Ten years ago or better, they were shunned away, they were pushed in a corner. "We can't do this or we don't want to do that, a fight may break out 58 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 or we can't control them." One of the challenges that I have presented is, put me in a position to say we were in the game to make a difference. The holiday seasons are coming up. The directive that I've given to the staff, we're going to have six teen dances between the Christmas and New Year holidays intentionally. I would much rather be in front of a microphone and a thousand cameras saying, yes, we did have a misfortunate or unforecasted incident, but we were there trying to make a difference instead of standing on the wall saying, "Oh, look what happened again." That's part of it. The part of it is prevention. Influence them to be in a good gang and not let them be influenced to go to the dark side, to be a part of the thug life, to be the part of the bling-bling. Create the opportunity for them to earn the bling money in the right way, in a lawful way. So we got a gang. We present to them our gang and what it stands for and dangle that carrot to 59 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 manipulate them to be in our gang. But the money should be put in prevention. Thank you.

Any other questions? Councilman Jack Kelly.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just want to thank you, of course, for doing all the effort that you're putting in there to make our City safer for not only children but for everyone in this City. And I apologize for being here late, but you may have already touched on the subject. But with all the violence that's going on in high schools and our streets in Philadelphia especially with our young people, where do drugs fit in with this problem? And if so, what's the prevention? Where are we going to? COMMISSIONER RANSOM-GARNER: Good morning.

State your name for the record. COMMISSIONER RANSOM-GARNER: Cheryl 60 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 Ransom-Garner, Commissioner for the Department of Human Services. For DHS, we're seeing a growing number of families that are drug and alcohol involved, children with more behavioral health problems. So we're connected very strongly with the Behavioral Health System so that we can make referrals to CODAAP, the Coordinating Office for Drug and Alcohol Abuse Programs. And working together with the Behavior Health System, we can really identify the needs of the families and really talk about the resources that they need.

You're trying to break the cycle, in other words? COMMISSIONER RANSOM-GARNER: Yes, to make sure that there's treatment for the problem, especially if children have to be removed from the home to make sure that the parents get the treatment they need.

Is this an economic problem too? In other words, with children that probably are left out of the mainstream that probably are underprivileged 61 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 and they're trying to keep up with the Joneses, so to speak, and they get into the drug activities trying to make extra money or trying to keep up with everyone? COMMISSIONER RANSOM-GARNER: Yes. Peer pressure runs rampant for our young people. And as Commissioner Richard said, they're making the wrong choices. We need to give them different choices, better choices.

Commissioner Richard, one of the things in your testimony here, I believe it's centers, they seem to 14 be, I think, a key into getting activities to 15 our youth. Do you think this is adequate just 16 having six? Are they spaced out throughout the City or are they just in one area or -- COMMISSIONER RICHARD: I appreciate it. And good morning, sir. I believe it's a start. As fast as I've been able to beg, borrow, and move money, we're developing more. My goal for the City is --

And all the expenses are currently in your budget, in other words, taken out of your budget? 62 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 COMMISSIONER RICHARD: No. The majority of the money has been outside funding through YVRP and block grant initiatives. The money that comes out of my budget is just relative to me getting the physical plan up. But to get back to answer your question, the next teen center that's coming on line is in West Oak Lane which will be at Simons which what Kathy has alluded to and I believe someone on the Council was saying, are we looking into the areas. And the answer is yes. You've heard me talk about prevention. The goal is -- the teen centers is a beginning to attracting them in a gang. And when we first put this concept together, the concept was, what can we create to influence them to come and loiter, for a better term, and hang out. And that's why in the beginning it was totally instruction and they looked like a lobby of a college dorm. They looked like the lobby of a Penn State University dormitory or U of Penn or Temple.

What are the 63 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 hours of a typical teen center? COMMISSIONER RICHARD: They run in conjunction with the hours in the recreation facility. The staffing just for the teenagers come on at 5:00 in the evening and stay until 10:00. And I'm looking to expand that even more so in the summertime to 12:00 at night. I've been kind of pushing my staff, we need to go to 11:00. We need to continue to let them do what they like to do and then influence them as we earn their trust and respect and say, "What we can now a little bit different that can make a difference in your life?" But to answer your question, yes, Vo-tech is another piece that needs to be addressed because all of the children, you need to understand, aren't going to school. They all won't go to school. They need job opportunities. So that's another piece to answer your question that you presented that Commissioner Ransom answered. It's not just to keep up, but as they say in the street, in the hood, in the ghetto, it's called survival. It's one word. 64 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 A child may act or a young person may act a certain way when they come into, say, an environment like this. But when they get back a block or two or three blocks in the environment where they come from, they will be a total different person. If not, they will not make it the two blocks to their house. So in that world, they live two different lives. I can give you an example with one of the young ladies that we had in this program this summer. She left and told the director, "I have to leave because my girlfriend is having a fight so I need to go and help her fight, but I'll be back."

Commissioner Domzalski, allow me if we could to welcome and introduce the classroom staff, teachers, and students from Oak Lane Day School. We're happy to have you here. (Applause.)

We expect that you young people will be making critical decisions about your generation a few years from now, that you'll be sitting at this table 65 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 making important decisions. Thank you, staff and teachers for bringing them in here. I hope it's a valuable experience. Commissioner Domzalski. And then we're going to bring this panel to a close. COMMISSIONER DOMZALSKI: Councilman Kelly, you're right on point with the issue of drugs. There's no question, drugs -- substances, whether it's alcohol whether it's nicotine, these are very, very seriously impacting the lives of our children. And I think the key, picking up what Commissioner Ransom and Commissioner Richard have said, the key to a lot of this and maybe most of it is to make sure our children in the City know that they have a future and why these kinds of things interfere with that future. I think that all of these things that we are working toward to do, we need to make sure that that communication gets to our children.

Thank you, Commissioner. Thank you, Madam Chair. 66 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826

You're welcome, Councilman. Thank you again for your testimony. Know that it's very instructive as we proceed forward. Commissioner. COMMISSIONER RICHARD: May we recognize our new Director of Social Services, Julia Danzy.

Of course. I believe we're actually going to hear from Julia Danzy. Yes, we should, Commissioner. We should indeed welcome her. I'm going to ask you to stand so we can put the face with name. Ms. Julia Danzig, our new Director for Social Services for the City of Philadelphia. (Applause.)

Thank you all. My Legislative Aide, David Ford reminds me that we're not remiss in including Family Court so we would now like to ask to come forward our District Attorney, Lynne Abraham, and our Deputy Court Administrator 67 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 for Family Court, Mario D'Adamo. Following the testimony of these two individuals, we will hear from Pastor Bill and Nancy Wolf and that team.

While they're coming, let me say that Julia Danzy is a new and old or new and former. You know, we feel like we know her longer than we haven't known her in government. So she's been all over the place. So it is fitting. They say life is a circle, that we start someplace and we end up back together again. So we say welcome again. Welcome back.

Good morning. To the District Attorney and our Family Court officers here, the principal goal is for the testimony we want to hear is for you to instruct and inform us on where the gaps are, what are one, two or three things we as public policy can help you do differently or better to help you do what you do since you are on the frontline of these issues when it comes to improving the lives of kids. If I have prepared testimony, we're 68 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 welcome to hear that. Essentially, we're interested in gaps where we need to attack some of the challenges. Please, District Attorney Lynne Abraham. Welcome.

Thank you, Chairwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown and panel members. I'm delighted to be here this morning to try to answer some of the questions that the panel has with respect to past practices and gaps. I do not have prepared testimony but will hope to answer as many questions as I possibly can. Obviously, any attempt that we as a community of leaders makes to reform and renew our efforts of preventing juvenile violence and violence in general has to be done in an atmosphere of resource-rich situation; and we are resource poor. And unless or until we as a society are committed to spending significant resources on innovative programs, this will be all an interesting exercise. Let me point out an interesting figure to you. In 1998, Pennsylvania was given for the Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block 69 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 Grants, JAIBG, federal grants for juvenile incentive programs. 9 million. Contrast that with today, 2004, where younger and younger people are becoming engaged in violent behavior, sexually dangerous behavior, risky behavior, bullying, potential gang membership, homicides, suicides and other kinds of conducts. 5 million. Philadelphia has gone from point almost million to $582,000. Any environment from our federal government which dismisses or deletes that huge influx of funds for us to address the issues of the very young, which will obviously impact on people as we get older, is an indication that country has not yet and our leaders in Washington have not yet fully come to the notion that we succeed best -- or let me put it the other way. We have our best success chance if we start at the very young. These Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grants and their cuts have a tremendously deleterious 70 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 effect on law enforcement, social services, the courts and other service providers to impact on the lives of children. We have over the course of our attempts to get a Blueprint For a Safer Philadelphia come up with some interesting statistics and figures. I think perhaps one of the more interesting aspects of today's crime violence issue is that while we are attempting to as a society change our ways of looking at crime, we in the District Attorney's Office have continued over the course of my tenure there spent a tremendous amount of time, effort and resources on crime prevention. There's no question in anybody's mind, or should there ever be, the people elected to prosecute, prosecute allegations of criminal conduct. That is what I do and make that statement boldly. But we are forcefully and directly engaged in a multitude of crime prevention and amelioration process, a few of which I'll be able to touch on today, but only a few because of the time. 71 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 But I wanted to point out that as part of our attempt to get a Blueprint for a Safer Philadelphia passed through the legislature of Pennsylvania, which we were very successful at doing thanks to the leadership of State Representative Dwight Evans and others. He was, if you will, the father of the notion. But with the help of both sides of the aisle in our State Legislature, we were able to get several pieces of this package through, which we believe will have a positive impact on Philadelphia. Homicide issues are instructive. We know that our homicides, our most characteristic victim are somewhere between the ages of 17 and 18 and 24, 25 and that 80 percent of them or more are killed by use of a firearm of some kind and that the easy availability of guns and the expanded lethality of these weapons is just astounding. You really have to go no further than reading the papers over the past couple of days. Today, there was a story of an officer chasing 72 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 two guys in a van and seeing them shoot somebody outside of the window and kill them.

And when the officer was finally able to stop the van, according the newspaper report in the Inquirer this morning, they found an AK 47 with a drum, with an inordinate number of bullets capacity plus a semiautomatic pistol. And several dozen rounds were fired on the streets of Philadelphia to kill the intended target, just extraordinary fire power. Far significant was the fact that the police officer couldn't even match the fire power of an AK 47, which is akin to the kinds of weapons they're using in fighting wars. This year we are at 301 homicides as of this very morning. One homicide today that we know of up to this point. Now, that's bad news, but there's some good news in that we are about 20 behind where we were last year at this very same day. However, the last several days and weeks have brought home to us the calculus of violence on our streets. A man of 22 years of age was found shot and dumped in the 6700 block of Lebanon Avenue shot, about 73 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 times, twice in the head execution style plus a variety of other gunshot wounds to the chest and back. Two men were found dead this morning in North Philadelphia, gunshot wounds. A dry cleaner was a shot allegedly by a former employee. An old lady on a neighborhood in Kensington was brutally murdered by allegedly two young people who live in here neighborhood. A 16-year-old boy and a 15-year-old boy outside of Strawberry Mansion High School having some altercation about a reported debt over some alleged bet that they had about a rap contest, and one is dead over this $50 debt. And one could go on and on about the calculus of violence. We find that our homicide rates between those ages of, generally speaking, to in several of our City's police districts, primarily although not exclusively, they are in the 24th, 25th, 22nd, mostly the north and west corner of the 26th, 35th, 16th, the 19th, the 18th and the top half of the 12th district, not to exclude any other district including the 17th on the other side 74 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 of the river. So we have a continuum of tracing of dead bodies in these various areas and a number of gaps that we intend to use and have been using to jam a wedge in the revolving door of criminality. Let me first note on one of the gaps that is presently being filled is a new program which we have instituted with the help of the Family Court and our other partners, including the police, the Probation Department and the gentleman sitting here to my right, we started in September with a Juvenile Drug Treatment Court. It has taken Philadelphia a long time to address the needs of a Juvenile Drug Treatment Court which we in the system recognized the need for over a continuous period of time. We have a pilot project going right now. We are concentrating on four districts alone, the 12th, the 16th, the 18th, and the 19th districts. That's Councilwoman Blackwell's area and any Councilperson-at Large, Councilman Nutter's district and 75 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 others. We have about juveniles in this 3 pilot project. 4 We are presently going through 5 training because the money has not really 6 started to flow. Whether we're going to be 7 certified and eligible for continued funding 8 depends on, not only the training aspect, but 9 the strictures of the program. And the 10 approach is to divert nonviolent drug user 11 juveniles from prosecution to appropriate drug 12 treatment and to reward those who successfully 13 complete the program by dismissing their 14 charges only upon graduation. So we use a 15 sort of a carrot and a stick. The carrot is 16 obviously that, with the juvenile laws what 17 they are, a juvenile adjudication, conviction 18 of guilt adjudication of delinquency means 19 that their record is not expunged when they 20 are 18 as in prior times. The juvenile carries his record up to and including his adulthood.

However, if a juvenile is in need of drug treatment and is a nonviolent person and is eligible for the program because he or she lives in these four districts on our pilot 76 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 project, we will] place them into a drug treatment program. And upon graduation, not only is their case dismissed, but their record is expunged. So we are not only giving them a tremendous amount of services, psychological services, perhaps school support, a whole raft of support systems with the court helping us tremendously because the court has the ultimate adjudicatory power. And under their supervision and assistance, this program will be divided into three phases. Each person has to complete the early phase before being able to move on to the next phase. And we know that in the beginning, even with youngsters who are addicted to drugs, there will be two steps forward, one step back; two steps forward, one step back. After they finish the first stage, they'll be able to move on to the next stage. They have treatments, they have to maintain abstinence from drugs because they'll be tested for drug use and alcohol use. They are required to attend school consistently so 77 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 their truancy level is monitored, and there may be other programs addressed to the family giving the family therapy. Failure to a comply with the conditions means that obviously they don't progress or they may be dismissed and sent to court. But also, there are essays to write. And obviously, we want the person to appreciate not only the deleterious effects on himself for drug abuse and alcohol abuse, but the family, the community, to victims and so forth and so on. So this partnership between the First Judicial District, our court system, our Office, the Defender Association, Juvenile Probation, the Clinical Evaluation Unit and juvenile drug treatment programs is a recognition that our adult drug treatment court, which we have had for several years, does work, can work, is cost effective. But obviously, these depend on funds over which we have truly no control. All we can do is ask and hope that the justice programs available to us and funding sources and streams are 78 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 available. Quite apart from that, we find that juveniles, 80 percent of youthful offenders are somehow addicted to some kind of drug or alcohol.

Eighty percent?

Eighty percent. They use illegal drugs or alcohol. And the fact that so few of them receive treatment means that they are candidates for continued criminality up to and including that your adult record. And we absolutely need to spend more time and more dollars on the kinds of interventions like this. We also are concentrating our efforts on youth aid panels. Commissioner Richard mentioned the Youth Violence Reduction Project which is a project I started as a result of going to Boston in 1998 to see the Police Commissioner there. David Kennedy from the Harvard School of Government -- Kennedy School of Government. No relation to him and the Kennedy School, just happen to share the same magical name of Kennedy. Talking with 79 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 Reverend Eugene Rivers and speaking to the residents of North Chester, Massachusetts, and as a result of that visit in 1998, the Police Commissioner and I came back to Philadelphia and decided that if Boston can do that, then we can do that. So the Commissioner and I recruited other partners and we started a YVRP, Youth Violence Reduction Project, which is really a misnomer. It's a homicide prevention program. And in the districts for which we were given no funding and still have not received any funding -- we're waiting for funding, but we haven't yet gotten it. And ideally, it will not work only in a few districts. If it's going to work, just like the drug treatment program, no youth drug treatment program will work if it's only in four districts. This has to be available to every child and every family who needs and is capable of accessing drug treatment through our court system. YVRP will only be as successful as it over spreads the whole City. Nibbling around the edges won't do it. It's expensive. We got some 80 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 money that we expect to get from our Legislature, but only enough money to keep the program alive because we've been doing this for zip. That means nothing for over the past five years. We cannot afford as a District Attorney's Office to support programs, neither can our partners support programs without infusion of funds to do what we need to do. But our project is to select the most violent children in several districts, again, little bit of the 12th, the 24th, the 25th and the tiny corner of the 26th Districts where our homicides seem to be the highest, and we select with the help of probation, courts, teachers, ministers youth workers street workers, street workers, all the providers, we select the people who are believed to be the most likely --- listen to this for kids -- the most likely to kill or to be killed and we flood those families, that individual, that defendant, potential defendant with all the services that we can possibly muster to prevent that person from killing somebody else or to prevent somebody 81 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 from killing them. This is a program which over the course of time has been evaluated. It has been evaluated most recently by an organization which put out a monograph called Alive at 25. This is, again, a through 8 year period, which is those peak years where 9 many, although not all, of our homicides seem 10 to coalesce. We have younger homicide victims 11 and obviously we have the 24 to 30 group which 12 we want to expand our program to include. But 13 again, it has to be resource rich. We cannot 14 do it for nothing. 15 But we do believe that by 16 concentrating anti-crime, educational, 17 truancy, nonviolent, faith-based, educational, 18 job correction, and youth worker services, 19 sort of a whole continuum -- by the way, for 20 mom and dad, lots of services to mom and dad 21 because they are the fulcrum around which we 22 operate. 23 We have been able to prevent, by our 24 calculation, a significant number of homicides. Now, that doesn't mean that 82 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 homicides stop. They may increase elsewhere.

But our ability to provide services to other kids is impossible on the budget that we have and with the lack of resources that we are operating with. So we do lots of things for nothing. Another program, Youth Aide Panel, which has been in effect for years, very, 10 very effective, continues to be effective, but 11 we need to do more. And obviously, no 12 program, nothing that we do here today will 13 mean anything unless or until mom's virtually 14 in utero, when they're carrying their children 15 as pregnant women or girls, unless we begin with a whole host of services to those women and children in utero with visiting nurses, healthcare alternatives, educational opportunities, how to cope with the stress of having a child, accessing all the benefits that we have, we in our office will help them with child support because my office does all the child support in Philadelphia. We collect. The District Attorney's Office is responsible for collecting child support from 83 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 father's wed or not wed to the women whom they have impregnated. But we absolutely do some things because we have a budget to do it. Our program for child support is funded mostly by federal and state dollars, so it is not a function of the City government. But if those dollars disappear, our ability to collect those needed monies also disappear. Youth Aide Panels are done by volunteers in the community whom we have recruited and trained. We use whichever mediation programs. But unless we start in utero when the child is in gestation and right after birth and continuing up to 4 and 5 and 6 with those heavy influxes of services, we are faced with a child who goes to school, if at all when they're 5 or 6 and then starts to become truant, engages in violent, disruptive behavior, bullying, threats, fights and other activities which disrupt the class. We have to do more with not only in the home but we do have to do more. I know that Paul Vallas and I have partnered in a variety of programs for 84 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 bullying prevention. The transition from juvenile institution to schools by Act 24, we in the District Attorney's Office, through my Deputy for Juveniles George Mosee, speaks to every child going from juvenile detention transitioning into school in the Ready Wrap Program to teach them and train them about the calculus of crime and the impact of crime on the community. We have many, many more programs. I could stand all day and tell you programs. But the gaps are always and are always going to be where we take our funding and where we put it. And I must say that as a prosecutor, unless or until we in my office and I continue to get additional funding for crime prevention programs, actually all we're left is with prosecution. Prosecution is already too late for you or I or anybody else whose house has been broken into, whose life has been torn apart by violence, whose head is hurting. We have been concentrated in my terms as District Attorney on youth violence prevention and elimination. That takes 85 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 forward-thinking ideas and risk-taking, and it is risky, but it does take also a commitment of funding to join with my partners in doing these wonderful programs which we think are not only cost effective for the City but save lives and make children capable of finishing their education and taking their rightful place in the workforce. I welcome any questions that you have and thank my partners for joining me at the table and for you asking me, Councilwoman.

Thank you, District Attorney. We will] here from your partners and then we will open it up to questions. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony.

Good afternoon, Councilmembers Nutter, Goode, Blondell Brown, Blackwell and Jack Kelly. My name, for the record, Mario D'Adamo. I'm one of the deputy court administrators of Philadelphia. I'm assigned to Family Court Juvenile Division. I've been in that role since April 2000. 86 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 As you are aware, Family Court's operations are divided between two main sites at 34 South 11th Street, Domestic Relations, which hears divorce, custody, child support, protection from abuse matters; while the Juvenile Branch at 1801 hears the delinquent, dependency, truancy and adoption matters. We also have a crisis abuse study center. Our administrative judge, Honorable Myrna Fields is not able to be here today. And I'm accompanied by Jim Sharp, the Chief of Probation. Jim and I both listened attentively as Commissioner Ransom spoke about the collaboration between Family Court and DHS. And I think at this time I'd like to turn it over to Jim Sharp who would like to follow up on the delinquent matters that the District Attorney has brought up and how we collaborate with the District Attorney as good partners and good neighbors of 1801 Vine.

Mr. Sharp, we welcome your testimony. Before you start, we would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge my Colleague Councilman Michael Nutter who has 87 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 joined us in this hearing.

Good morning, Councilwoman Reynolds Brown, Councilwoman Blackwell, Councilman Goode, Councilman Kelly and Councilman Nutter. The Philadelphia Juvenile Probation Department faces the same obstacles of violence, family dysfunction, educational issues and drugs in our communities. The Juvenile Probation Department currently supervises over 5,000 youth in the delinquent system and they're provided supervision services based upon the philosophical balance and restorative justice principle. Our mission is to provide avenues for competency development, accountability, and protection of our communities. First to address the programatic gaps over the past several years. Our department has developed a variety of supervision services and unique programming to assist the youth. Some of those include the Girls Intensive Supervision Unit under the excellent guidance and leadership of Deputy 88 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 Chief Denise Ray, the aforementioned Youth Violence Reduction Program by your Honor sitting next to me, our Police-Probation Partnership, Parent Project, our parent orientation to probation, our victims community service and restitution programs, specialize aftercare, intensive drug and alcohol supervision, the previously mentioned STD program that we collaborate with the Health Department, as well as the School District who has school personnel in the Family Court to assist the probation officers and families that are coming in there with any type of school issues. In looking at the gaps, first we looked internally. It's been a very exciting and challenging first year in Juvenile Court. Under the leadership of Administrative Judge Myrna Field, we've restructured our Probation Department to provide an opportunistic succession plan for our staff and to provide an organizational structure that ensures maximum accountability for those type of supervision services for our youth. 89 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 We've also developed a strategic planning model in the process of implementing it that looks at the training of our staff, case management protocol, safety and well-being, and a system of graduated sanctions that is developed to reduce the amount of youth that are being placed outside the home and reduce their length of stay, but also to maintain a higher degree of fiscal responsibility to the system without coming to the shortcomings for those youth who do need treatment. We've also employed several ventures, a collaboration with our partners here at the table and who spoke previously. With DHS we've developed a system evaluation unit that looks at data and evaluation in terms of developing protocol programing as well as education to those partners outside of our systems. We also have the begun and are on the cusp of initiating an Aftercare Revitalization Program. This joint venture with DHS who we have developed a very strong 90 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 collaboration with, especially over the past year and a half, will be a model systems approach to youth re-entering into our community after their placement. The protocol, we utilize best practice, measures and outcomes to provide comprehensive services not only to the youth and family while they're in placement but also as far as discharge. If we're looking at gaps, there are several. Despite the good work that we're doing and the successes that we have achieved as a system, there are several areas that still need to be addressed in terms of providing comprehensive services. Ideally I would like to have additional probation staff to lower our caseloads so that we can more intensively work with youth. But under the circumstances, I know that the budgets are tight and we'll find a way to redeploy staff so that we're able to do that. One of the most important -- and I concur with your Honor -- is the YVRP funding and the expansion of the programs beyond the 12th, 24th and 25th district. The proliferation of guns in our 91 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES.

040826 community and the acts of violence are only being addressed on a very small scale. And with the decreased funding that we know is coming down the pike, it's something that really takes priority in terms of our ability to curb this violence and treat these youth. At this time, we have probation 9 officers who are covering these areas that 10 work intentionally with these youth. And I think the private public venture report, Alive at 25, indicates the real success that this intensive type of supervision really can perform. Other areas internally, working with first-time offenders programs, the diversion and prevention programs that the Department of Human Services has provided and developed have been excellent. We're always in need of those type of prevention and diversion type programs along the lines of drug and alcohol abstinence, sexual behavior abstinence, education, mentoring, vocational programming, job training and work appreciation are just a number. Commissioner Ransom-Garner also made 92 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 mention of the mental health services. This is a tremendously growing population and emphasis needs to be placed in this area in terms of service provision. Another area would be the services for female offenders. Historically, we have used the male rehabilitation paradigms in terms of rehabilitation. And it's really only then within the last, I'm going to say, 10 years that these models for gender specific services have been developed. While we have ongoing development and good programs, we're still playing catch-up because of the need of this growing population. In summary, we're at this time in the City where it's unique in some respects. I've only been here for a year, but I've been working with these agencies for over 10 years. We have a window of opportunity at this point that I don't think we've ever had, unprecedented collaboration with the District Attorney, the Public Defender, the School District, DHS and our provider community. And these strategic partners are the key to 93 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 addressing these issues. And we have the leadership; we really do. We have the leadership to accomplish this mission but as in many cases, funding always becomes an issue. It will certainly take continued united effort by these agencies as well as the City government to be the voice of these children and to be the action group for the youth of Philadelphia to meet their needs.

Thank you also very, very much for your testimony. If you had to look at your budget, what percentage would lie or fall in the column of prevention and what percentage would lie at all other categories?

Councilwoman, I don't have the exact statistical numbers. Most of our prevention budget monies comes out of the Department of Human Services. But they have been very generous in terms of providing these services. Alone last year, we diverted nearly 800 cases out of the Youth Study Center where in previous years those youth would have followed through the similar adjudicatory 94 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 dispositional pattern that previous youth have.

Now, I've been other there to visit the Youth Study Center and to try to get my arms around this diversion program. Briefly, walk that through again. When you say diverted, that means what?

Typically, a youth would come in after arrest and to the Youth Study Center, and the intake staff would have the opportunity to view the offense, view the history, educational, family dynamics and they have would have an opportunity for two layers of diversions. The first would be the Youth Advocate Programs Boards where members of the community assist and review these cases and provide a level of supervision. Those are probably I would say the cream of the crop of the youth that come through. It would probably absolutely the nonviolent offenders, first-time cases -- excuse me, Youth Aid Panels. Those would be the youth that would go into that. 95 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 Youth that have more serious issues or they pose a greater threat to the community maybe go through the diversion programs that funded through DHS through the Youth Study Center. And these would include different levels of counseling, education, tutoring, behavioral assessments. Those types of issues would be met out through these diversion programs. We currently, I believe, have about of these programs that have a variety of 12 responsibilities. 13

I would imagine criteria, depending upon the circumstance of the young person, correct?

Certainly. The criteria would be evaluated at that intake process.

Right now we're waiting for funding from our federal counterparts and we're hoping that we get this funding really quickly because we can use it. But again, I don't believe in this climate -- let me just be more specific -- in this Administration in Washington that cities like Philadelphia, and we are certainly not unique, 96 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 that we will] be getting a lot more funding from Washington. Usually these are federally funded for a finite period of time and sort of like the cops program. For two or three years we had federal funding to support our police officers and then the funding went away. And our police officer have retired and have not been replaced. Similarly with any of the programs that are funding dependent, when the funding disappears, the program disappears. And the fact that it's only a pilot project in four of our districts makes our job more difficult but more tantalizing. If I was a kid living in the 17th or the 25th or the 26th and I wanted drug treatment, I wanted to go to this juvenile drug treatment court, I couldn't because the pilot project is only for the four districts. Now, we hope, sincerely hope, that if we prove that this program can work -- and we know from the adult court, I can tell you as a statement of fact, it works, especially fir kids who are not violent. Please don't talk to me about robbers or rapists or 97 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 shooters or stabbers; they are not eligible for this program and will not be given consideration. This is the place where we do our most intervention to preventing a kid from getting into serious violent and random behavior that totally excludes him or her from participation in crime prevention programs. But we have an opportunity here to not only get the federal government to give us some money but we need the federal government and state government and local government to say "We'll pitch in too." This cannot be only dependent on the Feds or the State. Sooner or later, everybody is going to have to pitch in if you want to see long-term results. That gets me back to my initial point. If I were in the 25th District and I wanted to participate in this program right now, I couldn't because it's only a pilot program. Whether we will] ever be able to expand to the whole City how much money will eventually be coming through remains to be seen. I'm happy that we've begun. It's a good beginning. We need to do more. 98 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826

Participation is determined by the young person's residence versus where the crime was committed?

I believe it's where the crime occurred as opposed to where the person lives.

Councilman Nutter, please.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam District Attorney, I just have two questions. First, as far as I think we can tell in the first 11 months of this year we've had 31 young people under the age of 16 that have been killed in the City, most I 17 think are categorized as homicides and I think 18 most have also been by some form of firearm. So that's kind of the context of questions. You made reference to the Youth Violence Reduction Program earlier, which as you've laid out is always a little difficult to run programs if you don't have any money. We'll get to that discussion, I'm sure, quite shortly. In that context, to your knowledge, 99 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 were any of the alleged killers so far this year, had they been previously identified by the Youth Violence Reduction Program.

The Youth Violence Reduction Partnership did have some homicides committed by some of these people, so it's not a perfect program. But they had to have committed crimes to get into the partnership arrangement. Some committed other crime, some killed, some were killed but to a far lesser extent. So to answer your question, they have been identified and they sometimes still continue to be identified as people who have or will continue to commit some crimes.

And given, again -- it's not just this year, last year was not much better. What is your position or what proposals have you recommended based on your experience with regard to the proliferation of guns in Philadelphia? And I guess the shorter version of that is, any form of gun control, what is your position?

I have personally testified in front of the Legislature in 100 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 Harrisburg about, among other things, one handgun a month and total reformation of our gun laws and our ability to acquire guns. It is not a surprise to say to you, Councilman Nutter, that that did not meet with anything other than a chilly reception. One legislator on my way in to testify said to me, "Oh, I hear you're here to testify about gun control." I said, "Yes, I am." I said, "Do me a favor. Is this going to happen?" He said, "It's dead on arrival." I said, "Well, do me a favor. You can ask your questions. I'll answer any question you wish. I think this is an important piece of legislation that ought to be considered. I mean, after all, if we can keep a family of four down to four handguns a month, one for each adult in the family, that really ought to be enough satisfy any person in this Commonwealth." It went nowhere. So reformation of the gun laws, reformation of the ability to buy and acquire guns, supporting all inclusive 101 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 tracing of guns, acts again straw purchasers, tracing every gun back to its manufacturer and then following the line. I've even gone so far to advocate, which I still advocate, the fact that on our federal firearms application a lunatic could go into a gun shop and by a gun and have no prior criminal record and answer falsely "have you ever been treated for mental illness or mental disease," which would be incapacitating to that person's ability to buy a gun, but there's nobody to check it because my mental health records are private. I have suggested that it is meaningless in the nature of gun control and trying to put at least a little space between a lunatic and us with that lunatic now being able to have a gun, why would you have a question which my privacy laws prevent you from finding out the truth of my answer. That didn't go any place either in the federal government. I've testified before several Senate committees and spoken to he numerable senators and representatives about that, not only in testimony, but more specifically and frankly 102 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 mostly off the record speaking to congressmen. That's not going anywhere either. So if there is an anti-gun proliferation movement or an amelioration of the ability for people to have guns, I have testified in favor of it, being mindful of the fact that unless or until the Supreme Court interprets the second amendment we really won't know what means. But it doesn't prevent lawful hunters and others, law-abiding citizens from having a gun.

One thing you mentioned -- and this is absolutely, positively will be my last question. Given your own experience with the State Legislature, state of things, mindset-wise on guns and weapons and the like, what are we left to do in the current environment if there is not reformation of gun laws and one a month and those kinds of proposals? What are we left to do?

We have been successful in getting greater penalties for guns. For example, there is now legislation 103 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 which mirrors the federal system of a five-year mandatory minimum sentence for drug dealing and possession of a firearm. So to that extent, we have been, myself included, in getting the Legislature to include harsher penalties on bad guys using guns to commit crimes. But insofar as limiting or closing loopholes in anybody's ability to buy a gun, there doesn't seem to me to be much of an opportunity to limit in any meaningful way the opportunity that one has to get guns in this climate. Pennsylvania has the second largest number of hunters in the country only after Texas. And I say this without disrespect, they are a very strong lobby. So we have been able to do gun tracing. We have been able to work with the Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Division in interdicting straw purchasers, somebody who goes for somebody with a felony record and buys 5 or 10 guns and sells them out of his back of his car. We have interdicted them and we in our my office and our federal counterparts prosecute those 104 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 cases. But to limit manufacture, distribution of high-powered guns, assault rifles and the like, I don't believe in the next four years it is likely to move one inch.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you.

Thank you, Councilman Nutter. Councilman Jack Kelly and I were over here conversing about the same question so I want to defer to him.

Thank you, Madam Chair. First of all, I'd like to first, of course, welcome our District Attorney.

Thank you, Councilman Kelly.

And Mario, it's also good to see you. And welcome, Mr. Sharp, to our Council. Our Chair and I were just speaking about gun control, and we were just wondering since the high volume of people that are hunters and people who probably collect guns and whatever, what about is there any 105 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 possibility of making an exception with our State Legislators as far as the exception being the First Class City, Philadelphia? In other words, would they be probably favorable to permitting Philadelphia to make their own gun controls? I know Councilman Clarke had bills before, and I was just wondering what the reception would be in our State Legislature.

Icy. Not going to do. And the reason they're not going to do it, in my judgment -- and I don't speak for the Legislature and I don't speak for Councilman Clarke and I don't represent City Council so I'm speaking just as the District Attorney. I believe that those legislators who support hunters and others, and I have nothing bad against them, they are not the people who are committing crimes and they will be the first people that point that out. I think they will view that as an attempt, as they might put it using a metaphor, they might say, "Well, that's just a camel getting his nose under the tent. And pretty soon the Camel will be in 106 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 the tent and I will be out of the tent. So I don't believe -- Councilman Clarke and I have discussed this at infinitum. I've committed my thoughts to paper and submitted it to all Council. I don't believe our Legislature is going to consider any measure whatsoever which will limit or eliminate or compromise anybody's ability to lawfully obtain a gun in this Commonwealth, period.

I have another question to you, and that's the Youth Violence Reduction Pilot Program that you're working on. What districts? Could you give me those districts again?

They are the 24th, the 25th and a corner of the 26th because that upper northwest corner has a significant number of homicides. And then as crimes started to move farther into Councilwoman Blackwell's district, the 12th District.

I know the 24th and 25th has just been, of course, upgraded to the number one district in Philadelphia with the most violent crimes. 107 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 I just wondered, since this is a pilot program, how long are you going to be studying the effects of this program?

Well, since we have just received some money from -- we haven't received it yet but we're on the road to receiving it. We will] be able to keep those programs going in those three districts at the very least. We had hoped -- we had asked for million. We thought we could make do with 12 5 million. We were grateful -- please don't misunderstand, we were grateful to get about 2 million. But that will only keep that program going in those three district paying all the people you have to pay and doing everything that you have to do. We may be able to dribble over a little bit into another adjoining district like the 17th or something like that.

In other words, until you get more appropriations to expand the program, you can't expand it?

That is not only correct, but if you look at these colored 108 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 maps, which I only have one copy of, that's only up to 2003, last year. I know you can see this, but the record can't. There's red dots. This is 2001 homicide, the district, which closely mirrors 2002's homicides which closely mirrors 2003 homicides. So the major districts as of 2003 were the 24th, the 25th, the 35th, half of the 14th, the eastern half of the 14th, the corner of the 39th, the 22nd, the 26th, the 23th, the 12th, the 17th, the 18th, the 19th and half of the 16th. Now, we're in three districts. I've named about 10 districts. There you are. Pay me now or pay me later.

Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair.

You're welcome, Councilman Jack Kelly. I'd like to welcome the presence of Councilman Darrell Clarke.

Good afternoon. I just have one quick question. Good afternoon.

Good afternoon, 109 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 Councilman.

Madam DA. I did not walk in solely because I heard you talking about guns. Pure coincidence.

I'm in your house, Councilman.

I guess you say, "Every time I talk about guns, here he comes."

No. Listen, this is a debate that must be had. Must. I welcome it.

Actually, I had a pretty interesting meeting last night with State Representative Evans, and one of the topics of the discussion was the Legislature's involvement in any regulation as it relates to Philadelphia and guns. And he actually has a vote total in terms of what he thinks he can get out of the House. It was actually a little higher than I thought, so we are making some progress in that respect

I welcome that.

Because if you don't try, you'll never get there. That's my motto. 110 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826

You're absolutely right.

With respect to part of the statement you made earlier about your office, and I'm assuming the Philadelphia Police and their interaction with the AFT, did you say your ability to impact straw purchases was --

You mean ATF.

I'm sorry. I had several conversations, off-the-record conversations with a representative from the ATF about their ability to monitor illegal trafficking, i.e., straw purchases, and they had voiced some substantial frustration because the reality is there is nothing in place that specifically monitors those weapons after purchased by the purchaser, the straw purchaser, and ultimate conveyance to those weapons to other individuals.

It's after the fact.

It's only until somebody gets shot.

Correct. Here's what 111 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 a proposal has been, however. The proposal is that every gun that comes into this country, whether manufactured here or imported here, would be test fired so that a shell casing and a pristine bullet would be fired into a tank of water so that every firearm intended for commerce would be test fired and, therefore, have a shell casing fingerprint, if you will, and a bullet fingerprint and it would all be in a computer so that -- and that gun then is transhipped from whoever manufactured it or imported to Lynne Abraham, gun dealer, and they're sent out all over country by purchases. If that gun winds up being used in a crime, we know who manufactured, where it came from, and even if the gun isn't found, we could match perhaps assuming the bullet fragments or shell casings or whatever we found at the crime scene could be matched with a gun to say "This gun that used to shoot this person came from this weapon. It also would help to track -- to be part of the informational database, if you will, like a DNA database, which over the course of the 112 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 history of the gun can be used if that gun is never recovered for a long period of time but is used in a variety of crimes, it could all be linked up by this one database in the event the gun is eventually recovered.

I think that was championed by Senator Chuck Schumer from New York for some time. Are you suggesting that we should take that route, that would have to be done federal level, national legislation as opposed to getting the Pennsylvania Legislature to authorize some local legislation that only affects the City of Philadelphia? Are you suggesting that we'd have a strong likelihood to get that national legislation as opposed to Philadelphia?

I'm suggesting that because guns are an interstate commerce, it is governed by federal law, commerce laws. I don't believe -- I'm trying to remember if any guns are manufactured in Pennsylvania. I can't think of any. Most of our guns are manufactured in California, Florida, in the 113 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 south and elsewhere, maybe Connecticut. I can't think of any other major states that manufacture guns. That being the case, because they are an interstate commerce or because they are imported from foreign countries, in my judgement, they would have to be dealt with on a federal level. Not only that, but they're the only ones with the kind of money that they can print to put the dollars behind this national, if you call it that, database firing and intelligence.

I agree with your premise if we were able to get such a law passed, it would be a substantial tool to used by law enforcement. My question is essentially if you think that the likelihood of getting that federal legislation, given the makeup -- and I guess to some degree it's comparable -- of the Congress and the Senate on a national level as opposed to the State Representatives and the Senate in Pennsylvania in this particular legislature is somewhat comparable. But my concern is that focussing efforts solely on a national agenda, that -- 114 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 you know, I don't know if Senator Schumer has any chance of getting that.

None.

At a minimum, at least we have our Chief Executive in the State of Pennsylvania who has gone on record supporting gun legislation as opposed to the Chief Executive of the United States who has gone on the record as not supporting any gun legislation. So my concern is that we would focus efforts on a national level and not deal with Philadelphia, I think that that will splinter our approach.

Here is what my consideration is. I think you and I and this Council as a body and everybody interested in non-violence and non-proliferation of weapons ought to speak with one voice to make our Legislature try to take the most brave and forward-thinking approach to doing something about violence and crime in this Commonwealth. To me, that's the ideal approach. To start to think about getting all this legislatures of all the states and all the senators and 115 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 congressman, given the outcome of the last election to be forward-thinking and brave and tackle an issue as strongly felt as gun control in this country, that's why I said I don't believe, with all respect to Senator Schumer who is just the most phenomenal senator. He's absolutely the most forward-thinking senator one can think of on this issue. He's not going to be receive any welcoming reception in this Congress, in my judgment. Now, I can be prepared to be surprised. But you and I, because we are concerned with our City and our State, we ought to concentrate our efforts in turning our attention to make sure that our voice is heard not only in Philadelphia but in Harrisburg because I believe that if Harrisburg either, A, decides to exempt Philadelphia, as I mentioned to Councilman Kelly, I'd be delighted to do that as the only Home Rule county in the state and you and I singing and dancing down the street. If they won't exempt Philadelphia from the gun control issue, that is, Council being able to regulate 116 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 guns in this City, then we should try the next approach which is, okay, can we see our way clear to getting representatives and senators to be forward-thinking and being adroit enough to address the issue of gun control in this Commonwealth in a meaningful way to cut down violence, not to impinge or hunters, not to impinge on anybody's right to have a gun in one's house, but we have to be mindful that not only are guns closely associated with of homicides and violent crimes, there are directly correlated to suicides and accidents in the home. And your gun and my gun can be stolen in a burglary or robbery is used and then put into commerce. So I want to start locally in our own City and State.

And I'm glad to hear that. But could I ask you not -- and you're independently elected official. When you come in and you testify, and it's your right, and you start off in the middle of your testimony or at the end, when you say there's no chance that the State Legislature is going to allow the City of Philadelphia to regulate 117 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 guns or authorize certain legislation in the City of Philadelphia separate and aside from the State, it sends the signal to the Legislature is that we don't have one of our chief law enforcement officers believing that there's a possibility which really hurts our chances, which is why you and I have had this on going debate. It kind of sends a signal. If you're saying it's not going to happen, then there's no reason why the Legislature Lackawanna County feel the need to take this seriously.

Well, I believe that from what I know of this Commonwealth -- I'm trying to be an honest person. I would never come to Council and say, "I think that we can accomplish this," if I don't think we can. I believe that our Legislature looks at Philadelphia with disdain and as if we're a foreign country. I don't believe that they are going to be willing to, in my judgment -- I have the utmost respect and admiration for Representative Evans, had a very long conversation with him myself two days ago. He 118 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 and I are on the same page. I want him to try to convince the Legislature to do this, to do exactly what you want. I'm just being my honest self and telling you --

Sometimes that hurts. If you can't take a positive spin on something, you know, you're not really helping us by continuing to come in here and say it's never going to happen. I mean, Dwight Evans is a 25-year member of the Legislature. He never told me, "Darrell, it won't happen." He said, "there are challenges. There has to be a strategy. It's an uphill battle," but he's never said it's never going to happen. But you continually come in here and say it ain't going to happen. What kind of signal is that sending?

All I'm trying to tell you, Councilman -- excuse me, Councilwoman Brown. I just want to finish this off because I don't want this to be a debate with us. Councilman Clarke and I do not differ in our desire to see this happen. We just differ in our potential for seeing this happen. I will 119 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 be standing right next to Councilman Clarke and Dwight Evans. I will go to the Legislature and say, "Look, we have to do this for the safety of our children." I will do everything and anything I can. I just don't believe in saying that things will happen when right now in this instance with the Legislature in its present composition and the turmoil going in right now and everything happening, I just don't think it's going to happen now. Could it happen? Yes. But the reception thus far has been icy. That's an honest assessment.

I would happy to continue this conversation on gun control because I too remain interested on the record. I do not, however, want loss a couple of my testifiers. I'm going to ask you not to go anywhere because I have some additional questions for Family Court. I ask you to remain District Attorney Lynne Abraham and Councilman Clarke. We can go back to this. I do not want to lose the testimony. Please, Pastor. Pastor Bill and 120 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 Nance Wolf who are with the St. Phillip's after school program, if you could come forward and provide that to us so we can have that on the record, given you've been here for a while and waited for us so very, very patiently. Please come forward. We do want to have the benefit of your testimony. Please state your name for the record and tell us who is with you and proceed with your testimony.

Reverend Bill Wolf from St. Philip's United Methodist Church in Kensington on Tioga Street. This is my wife, Nancy Wolf and one of our teachers and longtime teachers at St. Philip's Shira Matos (ph).

Please proceed.

We came to St. Philip's in 1998. We were appointed in July as the Pastor of St. Philip's. And when we arrived at St. Philip's, we realized there was a tremendous need for the youth and the young people in Kensington. We're in the 25th 121 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 District. I'm highly involved in the district with the police clergy. I ride along with them. I meet with them once a month. I'm involved with the faith-based initiative with Nick Talafero. I have been involved with the youth violence reduction program. And as a matter of fact, the meeting was held at our church, if you remember. So we are very committed to the youth in Kensington. We started an after school program in 1998 with children, first and second 13 graders, no money, just on faith. It is now 14 49 children, and we are open five days a week. 15 We're part of the children's investment 16 strategy from the Mayor's Office 3:00 to 6:00. 17 We're half days and full days when the schools 18 are closed and we have a full-time summer 19 program. Our children are very multi-ethic. 20 We have Vietnamese, African-American that 21 attend our program. And we have many programs 22 for the young people. 23 We are currently involved with the 24 life skills and life skills training program. 25 We have nutritional programs from the 122 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 Philadelphia Food Bank which we're involved with. We have a Kids Cafe program once a night where we provide a complete hot dinner with the children and teach them how to properly at the table, not while they're watching TV. We have a self-prep program now in the summer. Our summer program goes from 9:00 to 5:00 from the day the school let's out until August 15th, August 20th. And we feed them breakfast and a hot lunch. My wife started the Self Prep program which was tremendous. Instead of boxed bologna sandwiches, we now cook hot meals for the kids at lunch. That's gone over real well. And then we give them a snack in the afternoon. My wife also has now, starting December 6th, a hot snack program in the afternoon. Instead of just having cookies and milk, we're now going to provide hot meals, grilled cheese sandwiches, et cetera, for the kids for snacks in the afternoon, nutritionally. Our staff its being trained with the 123 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 Princeton Review. We concentrate on homework for the kids and math and reading skills. Our program is primarily educational and life skills training in essence. And one of the main factors of our program is that our children who started with us in 1st and 2nd graders are now 6th and 7th graders with us. We maintained almost all the children who started with us. Our staff has also stayed with us for many years. We became state licensed two years ago. As a matter of fact, we used to have 65 children, but we became state licensed and we only have room for 49. So if you could give us a new building, that would be nice; we'd take more kids. We believe that -- faith based and church after school programs or after school programs are vital to the youth of the City, because the children that live in a community should have a place in that community to go after school and not have to walk blocks and blocks and blocks or be bussed. And so the more after school programs that are developed 124 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 throughout the City in each community is vital for the kids to attend because it keeps them off the street and gives them nutrition and education and gives them all the values that they need as well as we develop relationships with the families which are very important. We started am English as a second language class for adults two nights a week, and a lot of that is for our kids parents who come because most of our children come from families with limited English-speaking capabilities at home.

Are you tied into any of the City of Philadelphia Recreation Department programs or DHS support service programs?

We do work with Philadelphia Rec Department. And they have at our site an RSI. So we do have one employee who is provided to us by the Rec Department. And, of course, that's very beneficial. They also offer us resource ideas and help. We use a pool during the summer, we use one of their community pools, and it's marvelous. We're 125 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 fortunate enough to go the hour before it opens to the public, so it's just our site in a clean crisp pool; it's marvelous. We're able to do that three times a week.

And so if you had to identify a gap that you believe us on this side of the table should look at with regards to improvement for kids, what would you identify, what would you suggest? I mean, we've heard more dollars in prevention. We've heard that the truancy is now starting earlier and earlier in the schools and that's signal green light that we need to pay attention. What would you suggest?

I would say the same thing. Just the more after school programs the more summer programs. As oppose -- we're a very structured program. We have teachers that teach the children, but all that isn't necessary. But I think it is necessary to open up other faith-based sites or other community buildings so that the children do have a safe place during 3:00 to 6:00, being the most dangerous hours of the day for 126 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 children. So I think that in itself -- and also the computer issue. It's so important for the children to become aware of the digital divide, as it's called. Many of our children do not have the use of computers other than at our site. So that's a really excellent thing. And books, just having library books for the children to read.

We are partnered with two schools in the City. We are partnered with Conwell Middle School and Sheraton Elementary School. And that's been vital. Conwell Middle School has given us old textbooks that we actually use their textbooks and support us greatly. So the big thing I feel is that there's too much worry about separation of church and state because I think the churches really have to get involved. Reverend Eugene Rivers at our church talked to us and made a wonderful statement. Someone said to him, "Why are the drug dealers so prevalent and kids getting on drugs?" He said, "Because in the morning 127 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 when the child goes to school, he passes a drug dealer. At lunch when he comes out he sees a drug dealer. And in the afternoon when he's going home he sees a drug dealer. How often does he see a pastor?" And I think it's vital. Mr. Paul Vallas has started a program that we're anxious to get involved, which is Safe Corridors. And I think that's vital that we get out and man our corners and protect our streets. I've already kicked off drug dealers from around us because they know I'm around and I said, "I don't want you here," and they're gone and they haven't been there. But if I wasn't visible, they'd still be there with our kids. So I think it's important -- I know I've run into opposition with people saying, "Oh, there has to be a separation of church and state," but I don't believe so because I don't preach religion, I preach love and peace and that's universal. That transcends any particular faith. And what we need to do is see that the churches an in every community 128 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 try to get involved and the clergy, whoever it is, is available for the parents and for the kids.

Any other comments or questions? (No response.)

We thank you very much for your testimony and thank you for your patience.

Could I just ask for one second for Shira to make a statement. She waited all this time.

I think that's in order.

Shira started with us when she was 15 years old and is now completed junior college and we're trying to get you into Temple. She's been with us as a student and staff member.

And we have to lift up the next generation.

Absolutely.

Good afternoon. I'm glad to be here. What I have to say about our 129 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 kids are the best thing is when I go into work and seeing their smiles and them running to me showing the work that they did in school. We have to acknowledge all the good things that our kids are doing rather seeing the bad things that they're doing.

Thank you very much. Best wishes in your career. Thank you all. We will now ask to please come forward Ms. Shelly Yanoff, the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Citizens for Children and Youth. I still would like the Deputy Court Administrators from Family Court to stay around. And Eileen Brown, President of Grands as Parents, please. And we will close with Curtis Clark, Principal at the Youth Study Center and Mario D'Adamo Philadelphia Family Court. Thank you, District Attorney Lynne Abraham very much. And my staff has requested of you those documents.

I'll get them for you.

Thank you. 130 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 Good afternoon.

Good after, Councilwoman and Councilman. I'm Shelly Yanoff, Executive Director of Philadelphia's Citizens for Children and Youth, the region's non-government child advocacy organization. Thank you for holding this hearing. And causing us for at least a few minutes to focus on what we believe are issues that are extremely important to the future of this City. We believe that a City that strengthens its family and celebrates, respects, and supports its children is a City that will thrive and build its future. With this Council's support insistence and initiative, we've made important progress over the last few years, but there is much more to do. In healthcare we've made strides. Most of our children are insured. Most of our babies are born healthy. We've almost eradicated the number of babies born with AIDS and our infant mortality rate has improved 131 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 over the last decade. But every baby should be born as healthy as possible, and there are danger signs facing our babies' health. There are about 20,000 babies born here every year. Although most are healthy, some are not. Although most pregnant women receive early prenatal care in Philadelphia, about a quarter do not. In the last several years, the City has watched on the sidelines as the number of obstetrical beds and the sites for women to receive prenatal care have sharply decreased. We have gone from hospitals that had 15 delivery suites for babies to 10 in 16 Philadelphia. Our prenatal care sites have 17 suffered the same decrease. 18 The City can and should do better by 19 its children. The City should insist that hospitals come to this City Council and discuss their plans publicly when they are going to change vital serviced. The City should be planning ways to assure that there are adequate facilities and programs for our infants. 132 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 As in most of the country, the number of babies born to young women has declined, but still more than 1500 babies were born to women under last year, with 3600 6 babies being born to teen mom's. Most of 7 these young women need help caring for their 8 children and help staying in school. Most of 9 the father's of the these children need 10 support in assuming a parenting role. 11 We are pleased that the School 12 District is strengthening its programs for 13 young mothers. We are pleased that there are 14 a few fathers' programs around. But the 15 district is serving only about 400 children in 16 its Cradle to Classroom Programs. We need to 17 provide to thousands more. As in many other 18 areas, we do know what to do. In some cases we're doing it, we just need to do it much more. We applaud the new initiative to assure a home visit for every newborn. We support the program that provides home visiting for a group of pregnant women that have been identified as high risk and provides 133 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 extensive follow-up as needed for these families. This program has been shown to be effective not only in assuring the baby to be healthier, but in preventing child neglect and strengthening parenting. Again, currently 400 are served. We need to serve far more. We need public health nurses. We need more outreach to link babies and families with services and supports. With the growing number of immigrants in the City, we need to take the steps necessary to provide these children with healthcare. What more might the City do? We could begin supporting these efforts out of the General Fund. Most of the City's efforts in this area are completely grants funded so it's difficult, actually impossible to get to scale. If we invested earlier in home visiting, outreach, lead poison prevention, translation services, we'd save a lot of money and lives later on. The story of Philadelphia and its efforts to decrease the presence of lead in our children's lives is a success story. 134 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 We've made enormous strides.

Not long ago when we came here we reported that there thousands of homes on the backlog that were poisoning children and that the list was growing. Through an extraordinary effort, collaboration, and support, the picture is remarkably better. The backlog hs been shrinking. Hundreds of homes are being cleaned up annually. And lead is less of a danger than it was. But still, too many of our children are thinking less and hurting more because of the presence of lead in their bodies. We do know what to do and we're doing it, but not enough. Imagine what would happen if we were able to prevent lead from getting into our baby's blood in the first place. As in other areas, we need to invest and focus on the issue and insist that our children are worth it. More than 93 percent of our children have health insurance. The reach and breadth of CHIP and medical assistance in Philadelphia is remarkable. But still, there are not enough places or providers for family to turn 135 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 to for help with a child who needs behavioral health services. Indeed, and this is so related to the violence, in most parts of the City children have to wait for an average of five to six weeks for a non-emergency mental health assessment and then another month to begin treatment. There are not enough practitioners willing to treat low income children with mental health disorders. So we give lip service to intervene earlier, but we don't have enough providers to treat our children. We worry about the number of kids in school who are acting out, but there's not enough treatment for them or for the hundreds of children who need someone to talk to get some counseling and support. Instead, they and we wait until they're in crisis causing hardship on themselves, their families and that your communities. There have been important mental health initiatives recently supported by a combination of the Department of Human Services, the School District, Behavorial Health System, and Family Court. We are 136 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 impressed with these programs and their promise. They have good results. But the need is great, and as Marian Wright Edelman reminds us, the boat that we are in is very small. We need to expand the programs that are working, continue developing collaborative responses to the need of children. The same story is true about dental care. We don't have enough dentists treating children. So their teeth hurt, they can't concentrate, and they fall behind in school and in life. Mr. Vallas has noted that almost all the juvenile delinquents that he sees in schools are failing in their class work. Maybe their teeth hurt. Maybe their teeth have been hurting for a long time. We don't know because there's not enough dentists around to help them. In both of these cases, the City can develop active, creative strategies to encourage health professionals to come here, to stay here, and to practice here. We are pleased at the number of children who begin school now have had a 137 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 preschool experience. Most of them have, and we see that success in promotion rates in first grade. But still, not enough children have access to good child care. Not enough young children attend head start or early head start, not enough get to school ready to learn. About 46 percent of the children 0 to 5 whose parents are working in Philadelphia are without regulated care. These children start and stay behind in school. Head start programs serve a little over one-half the 3- and 4-year-olds that are eligible and early head start serves only 3 percent of the eligible children. In recent years, almost every piece of research has shown that brain development that is the most critical is in the early years, and yet too many of our children start school late and too many of them are not ready to learn. The City has taken a variety initiatives to improve the picture.

This Council valiantly supported the Child Care Facilities Fund last year and it's making a 138 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 major difference. We've been working with several departments to improve the child care situation here, and we've seen progress. There are about a hundred people that communicate weekly about child care. We need to support a campaign to tell the story of the importance of good child care. We need to support universal good early learning opportunities. Again, we do know what to do. We're doing it. But we're doing it piecemeal. We did need to do it more. In the last several years, as you well know, there has been some improvement in our schools. More children are getting the help they need early on. Summer school is available. More teachers are able to teach in smaller classrooms, particularly in the early years and to provide more attention to the students, and there's more order and a unified curriculum. But still more than half of our elementary schools -- and I want to say this again, Councilwoman Reynolds Brown -- more than half our elementary schools have no 25 regular music or art program. Our children 139 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 are tested, but they're not taught in ways that can excite them and stimulate them in too many instances. Our children are not exposed to the kinds of programs that often make school more interesting and challenging. And what we in Philadelphia call small class size is larger than the overwhelming majority of class size in the other districts. We need more grown-ups in our schools, in the hallways, in the classrooms, ready to talk with, counsel, mentor and be there for the hundreds of youngsters who struggle with problems in large buildings in unsafe neighborhoods. Our school should appeal to the spirit. It should offer children care, security, and a learning environment that allows them to dream as well as learn. We are seeing more and more children doing better academically and now beginning help with college. These are major accomplishments and we should celebrate them even as we commit to doing much more in and for our school children. We must work together to improve 140 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 conditions in schools, neighborhoods and communities. Too many of our kids attend schools that are close to being condemned. We are pleased now that there's a major building program in the district. But what took us so long? How many kids did we watched being told in so many ways that they had no future? We should have stopped it long ago. Unfortunately, though, some of the children in our schools got the message that they were throw-away kids, dropped out of school. Somewhere between 50 and 75,000 youngsters in Philadelphia left school without finishing. The prospects for their future, as you well know, are very dim. We're pleased that there's about to be an initiative supported largely by private foundations but involving the schools, the courts, DHS, and a myriad of agencies to come together to plan a better future for these kids and thus for our community. In this instance, we will know what to do and we hope we will commitment to doing it. 141 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 Every child needs to be able to be safe and nurtured in his or her home and community. In the last year, as you heard, there has been a slight increase in the number of children reported as abused or neglected. DHS has custody over the course of the year of more than 7600 youngsters. They have developed prevention programs for thousands of children and families, provided needed support and assistance and secured permanent homes for more than 500 children. That is an enormously positive record. The magnitude of the child welfare program and the issues families present are immense. With your help, the City has made major strides in protecting, preventing and rebuilding lives. But there's still much to do.

We're very concerned about the continuation of funding for many of these prevention efforts. They depend in too many instances on welfare funding from the federal government that we are afraid going to disappear. As you know all too well, there are 142 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 too many neighborhoods today that are not safe havens. Too many have no safe playgrounds, no 4 recreation center programs, no safe equipment, no open library, no reading hour for story time. Too many of our kids are growing obese on fast food, have trouble breathing due to asthma and have no safe to exercise. All of us have a responsibility to clean up our communities, to reach out and care for our neighbors and to be willing to pay the taxes to assure that the playgrounds are an equipped, the programs are available, the libraries are open, the community is safe. Yet, of course we need to get rid of the guns in the neighborhood. And I would hope, Councilman Clarke and the DA and the Mayor and all of Council would lead a major march on to Harrisburg. One gun a month should be state-wide. We should do it. We should do it as soon as we can form it and March on to Harrisburg. It is not acceptable to not have this. How many people need more than 12 guns a year? Only people who are 143 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 intent on killing other people. This is not gun control. This is people survival. We should be about the business of really doing everything we can to think of to make a major step to say, "We're not going to say politics as usual. " It has to work. It's too important not to. In the last several years, the major investment in major investment in after school and Beacon have made a big difference in many neighborhoods. But just like the District Attorney said, if we don't get to scale, we're not really going to be able to show the real impact, to show the impact in safety, to show the impact in school performance, to show the impact in the community. We know what to do. We need to commit to doing more of it. Unfortunately, poverty weaves its way into the story, and while there isn't much the City can do by itself in this area, we can take some steps. We can recognize that the lack of adequate housing is a real problem for many of our children and families. About 50 percent of Philadelphia families spend more 144 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 than 30 percent of their income on their housing. More than 40 percent of the people in shelter and, Councilwoman Blackwell, you know this well, our children. While there has been some improvement and there are some really wonderful shelters, a shelter is not a place for a child to grow up in. We must keep advancing the cause adequate housing in every way possible. Some of the very families whose children need to get to school to build the future are thwarted in this effort by the high cost of public transportation to and from school. As we've said many times before, Philadelphia is unique compared to most cities in not providing transportation to and from school for children above the 6th grade. While solving the public transit issue not the responsibility of local government, we need to speak with one voice in solving it. The time is now. At the local level, we need to lower the cost of children and families of sending their children to school. As we noted, there 145 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 are many families who have to choose which child will attend on some days, who has to choose between food and school transportation. As we search for an answer to truancy, we need to make it easier, not harder, for kids to get to school. As we look for more ways to help families feel more secure, we need to help them find ways to get to work. In some cities, kids ride free to and from school. In orders, kids can buy a monthly very inexpensive transit check to allow them to go anywhere and experience their City and learn. There is much we can do. We can subsidize the further the student discount.

We do many of the answers to these problems. We just have to commit to doing them. We must also note that the potential utility shut-offs for many of these families exist, and the danger for these children is real. We will all read, I'm afraid, of the impact of trying to get warm when there's no 24 heat for families. The successful Campaign For Working 146 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 Families has been really very impressive in bringing millions of dollars into our City, helping ameliorate the impact of poverty on the lives of families. The Earned Income Tax Credit, we should really be pushing it. The City should support it and grow it. It is a very successful anti-poverty effort. In conclusion, Philadelphia has made progress in many areas, but children don't wait; they can't. We end as we began with PCCY's belief that a City that provides for its families in a safe nurturing community with good child care and health care, schools that help kids dream and learn, parks, playgrounds and after school programs that help them play and learn, and places to turn to for help is a City that people want to call home. We are concerned that a City that has to cut its services to families will jeopardize its children, families, and future. Thank you.

Thank you for your testimony, Shelly Yanoff. As always, very pointed and instructive. A number of 147 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 recommendations we will have to take up. Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell.

Thank you very much. I only had a couple comments to make. Number 1, I know that Councilman Clarke and Councilwoman Miller have done well in dealing with guns. That's up to them. The Councilman is always ready to go to Harrisburg and has interacted with our state officials. I mention that because you said he should lead a march. I think that's up to him to decide what form to take, but he's been on the case, as has Councilwoman Miller and this Council for many years and many years before. I wanted to only say two things. One is that we have a skills portfolio -- maybe you've seen it -- that we passed out to day cares, especially those day care providers in homes in and around my district and anyone else as long as they held out. We still have a couple boxes left to try to help day care mothers and providers provide an academic focus as well as to protect and take care of children during the day. So we've been doing 148 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 that in this Council, and we wanted to mention that. The other thing is we prevailed upon the University of Pennsylvania for two before and we do now have a dental van. As you know, they took pictures of kids in the left bank, put them on the side of a van and they go around to schools in West and Southwest Philadelphia. They have van with dental chairs. They do x-rays and they come back and do fillings. So we realize -- and they've been doing that and they go to all these health fairs and initiatives all through the summer and all of that to advertise and to say they're willing to help children and to give out little packets with toothbrushes and et cetera. So we think that we realize kids do have dental programs and that we are also dealing with that as an issue. And we appreciate your noting that. And finally, I know he hasn't spoken yet, but I always have to say great, great things about Curtis Clark, principal of Youth Study Center because he's absolutely 149 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 wonderful. He's been there for years. He's great in the community where he serves and he certainly does an excellent job at the Youth Study center, and we look forward to having him when the Thurgood Marshall Center is erected and in full bloom. We hope to see you there still in the neighborhood. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Councilwoman. I certainly was not telling Councilman Clarke what to do, but I do think that with 30 children who have died this year that it's not just our elected official, it's all of us. Last year there was a big march. We didn't participate, but there was a big march and the papers covered this huge march. We did participate in about Faheem. It seems to us that it's more that we have to show power, the power voting, the power to say, you know, we have got to do something about this. And it's not just Councilman Clarke or the City Council, it's all of us saying our children are dying and our children need not die because of some 150 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 being afraid of getting a camel in the tent or whatever. So it was just that years ago when we worked with a different child welfare funding piece, when the Mayor and Council went to Harrisburg with a lot of other, people, it had an impact. And that is just that. And Councilwoman, we've worked with the dental van at Penn, and it's really good. We need to kind of, I think, think about who the people -- we give breaks to businesses to come and settle here. If we need mental health people and we need dentists, what can we do to incentivise them to come here so that we don't have to kind of be hoping that somebody will be nice and give us a volunteer today.

These kinds of initiatives maybe we can double. I found that if we really try to prevail upon people and we really try to work with them -- we have very caring leaders. Our Commissioner who spoke before you are people who work closely with us, and we have caring hospitals and healthcare agencies who are always willing to 151 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 do their part. So I think that that's important that it does say something and just as it took us a few years to get this program going, maybe somebody else can deal with another program. We have it going on, as they say in West and Southwest. So if everybody lowers their buckets where they are, as Booker T. Washington said, then we can ameliorate a lot of problems we have in the City. But certainly, Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown has done an excellent job in this Committee who came out of Mantua really can speak for -- I mean, Michael Nutter claims her, out she came out of Mantua. And we can boast of not only the problems but of the programs we have to try to improve the quality of life for youngsters in the area where it's needed.

And when we look at what's happening in West and Southwest Philly and to your question of taking it to scale, your question is an important one on how we can do exactly what you suggested, incentivise others who don't get it yet, who 152 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 aren't doing the kinds of things that are happening West and Southwest Philly. So that speaks again to the purpose of this hearing, to hear from you ideas, recommendations, suggestions that we can formalize and strategize on how we implement them. So we thank you for that. You've offered two already. Thank you very, very much. Michael McCrae, if you would, I would like you to join our other testifiers here. We are winding down to a close. We will now hear from Curtis Clark, principal of the Youth Study Center and Eileen Brown, President of Grands as Parents. And we're going to ask you, Michael McCrae, to come forward. And then I have two ringing questions that I must put to the Deputy Court Administrators before you leave. We'll start with Eileen Brown, President of Grands as Parents. And thank you for your patience, being here early and staying with us.

Good afternoon. It's a privilege to be here. I've heard so much said 153 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 today on all different issues. And the little piece of paper that I wrote, I don't really have to go over it because we don't have a need to be redundant. And I did hear some answers about some gaps. But as Grands as Parents and grandmothers and grandfathers go, we got a little input to put in there. Listen, if according the Census Bureau -- I'm only talking about Philadelphia; I'm not going across the whole country. If we have 49,762 grandchildren under the age of 13 and another 14,00 or more living with other 14 relatives and another 16,000 under the age of 15 3, cradle to preschool age, we ran into a 16 total of about 83,000 children in the year 17 2000, and these children are probably still 18 with us somewhere in this City, DHS is servicing -- and you know this has increased because 2005 is about to come in. I already got it in my family, okay. So we know it's continually going up. And DHS has been able to successfully accommodate 7,600 children so we know there is a vast gap out there. There are still enormous problems out there. And to 154 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 my understanding, this is one of the main things that this hearing is about. What is happening with other people. I'm not here to say DHS isn't doing their job or the Health Commissioner wasn't right on point, because he was there with it, or the Recreation Commissioner. This is not what this is about, to my understanding. I want to say one thing about Philadelphia I think we're really trying. I think we've got a wonderful CEO of the Board of Education that's really implementing programs that will work. But we still have 4 to 7,000 children a year revolving out of the Youth Study Center. Glands as Parents acts as a conduit for parents of children that are in the Youth Study Center or has passed through. This is something new that we have been doing for the last six months because we know that there are still many problems out there. The thing of it is to get people to the resources that are available to them.

So you're saying that therein lies a gap between 155 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 services available and those who need the services, A, being aware and, B, getting access?

I heard things today that I had no knowledge that was even out there, absolutely had no knowledge. And I was glad to find out about them, because when it comes to the education and the early education, that is all great. Our problem right now lies in that middle. Everything can stand improvement. But the cradle to first grade, they're getting a lot of attention. We need more, but it's all good. If they make it alive out of high school, we can push them. There's so much out here for them, you know, the resources, you can go to community college, you can bring up your grades no 19 matter what school you went to in Philadelphia.

Sure. MS BROWN: It's that middle group that we're talking about.

Middle school years. 156 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826

Right. And early high school up to that ninth grade is where we're having our problem. And a lot of times when a troubled child comes into my office, when I do send them somewhere, they're not going to be accepted because they are a troubled child. They create a problem. And people don't want to deal with the problems. I have a child of my own that's in Mental Health Services. I had two children that were in Mental Health Services so I can speak more faster about my problems which has been many other people's problems. A lot of mental health services are being shortened and on the premise that if you're even absent or miss three appointments, you no longer can get the service.

So you're telling us that lack of mental health services is barrier as well?

Right. And like someone had stated, the waiting list to even get into mental health, you know, like that. 157 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 And I never understood the theory about mental health crisis. When you have a child that's doing that's destructive to themselves to their own personage or to other children, you take them and somebody has to determine was the incident severe enough. And the word that they threw around here today, which I love, preventative. So this is what we do at Grands as Parents, preventative resources.

And so in my haste to rush you -- and I am rushing you, and I apologize for that. More dollars put into prevention is one area where we can.

Yes. And I wish the person was still here that spoke about probation, juvenile probation. Because from my own experience, I had a grandson that was told by the court -- the court did its job and said, "First time, you are on probation." Fine. And I said to this child, "The judge you have to be in this house at 9:30." I haven't seen the probation officer yet. You 158 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 know what I mean.

That comes a perfect segue for a couple remaining questions I have for the officers of Family Court. So let me allow you to rest because I have two other testifiers I have to get in. My coattail has been pulled. I am minutes 9 over my time. I am unfair to you but I'm 10 about to violate the time of a Councilperson 11 and I don't want to do that. So if we could 12 please hear the principal of the Youth Study 13 Center. 14 State your name for the record. 15

Curtis Clark, Principal of the Youth Study Center. Good morning, Committee Members. Good morning, Jannie Blackwell. Basically, I'm here because the Youth Study Center has developed a working relationship or a partnership with Grands as Parents and we meet with them once a month and try to help resolve some of the things in terms of preventative things, which I learned a lot coming from this hearing that I didn't know was in place as well. I don't have much 159 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 to say, but I thank the Council is looking at it. You said yourself about preventive measures. Families are asking for help to try to assist them before the kids into trouble, and that seems to be a big issue. I get calls two or three times a week in my office referring to that. But now I spoke with some of the court officers which gave me some assistance, and I think can direct those parents to some resources now. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak.

You're welcome. You're absolutely welcome. Michael McCrea and Jim Hellman, come forward. Thank you for your testimony.

Good morning. Thank you for the opportunity to stay at the hearings here today. The state of young people in the City of Philadelphia, kind of hard to see where to start.

Let me say this. Just accept this as a reminder. I want 160 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 the focus to be on where the gaps are and what we as a City can do better and/or differently in services we're currently providing.

Teenage sexual activity dropped from 1996 through 1999 and has increased every year since. Today, 64 percent of teenagers admit to being sexually active. Teenage marijuana use increased each year from the last four. In fact, teenagers who admit smoking marijuana exceed the number teenagers who admit to smoking cigarettes first time every. Although major crimes overall decreased in the last four years, major crimes against juveniles increased over the same of period of time by 7 percent. Major crimes committed by juveniles increased 5 percent in just the last 12 months. Last year, 18 juveniles arrested for homicide, it's highest level 1999. In 2003, homicide victims age 18 to 24 increased 17 percent; highest since 1998. In 2003, homicide victims 7 to 17 161 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 increased 67 percent; highest level since 1997. Last year juveniles arrested for violent crimes increased 2 percent due mainly to increases in arrests for armed robbery and homicide. Juveniles arrested on weapons charges are up 31 percent in 2003; highest level since 1996.

Mr. McCrea.

Yes.

We appreciate the stats, however, a number of the other testifiers provided us with the facts that you're repeating. If you could fast forward your testimony and move to the gaps or recommendations on what we as a City need to do differently or better, please. Help me out.

Everybody else got a lot of time. I'm stuck here at the end here and I'm getting jammed up here.

Let me say --

It's happened to me 162 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 more than once and sometimes I get a little frustrated. You ask me, I say I'm going to come, I bring this to testify and this is what I want to do.

And we want you to submit that for the record. These hearings will not end on this topic today. It will be recessed at the call of the Chair so you will absolutely be invited back and we'll make sure you're at the top of the list since we did not complete our testimony today.

I appreciate that.

But in an attempt to show courtesy towards my colleague, I need to ask you to fast forward and tell us what the gaps are.

I'll pass the statistics and go to the rest of it.

Okay.

So what is the state of young people in the City Philadelphia? Two word come to mind: Dangerous and pathetic. It's dangerous because our teenagers are getting killed. They are getting killed 163 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 right under our very noses and right in and around our public schools. Our children and youth take their lives in their own hands just stepping out the front door. Last year, 881 children under the age of were gunshot 7 victims. Is this Fallujah or is this 8 Philadelphia? 9 It's dangerous because children are 10 having children, and one day those children 11 will become new statistics. It's dangerous 12 because children are not being properly 13 motivated to achieve a decent education. It's 14 dangerous because children feel alienated and 15 often times feel alone to face the struggles 16 an urban environment rings. It's dangerous 17 because our government, even our families, are 18 not providing the safety net our teenagers 19 need. 20 It's pathetic because in four years 21 almost every negative statistic has risen. In the four years prior to 2000-2004, those same negative statistics were declining. It's pathetic because in the same four years of rising statistics, our City's investment in 164 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 public recreation programs has decreased by over $6 million, the lowest level of funding since 1996. In fact, during the years of encouraging statistics, funding for public recreation programs increased by the same $6 million that has since been hijacked to private organizations and private programs. It's pathetic because in the four years of rising negative statistics, funding for private organizations has totaled some $240 million, including projected funding for the current fiscal year. Clearly, this enormous investment of taxpayer money and private organizations is not having much of an impact on the condition of our children at all. It's equally clear that in the four years of improving statistics, the $6 million investment in public recreation programs went a long way, a very long way, much longer than all the funding for all the private programs in the last four years combined and put together. Members of City Council, it is time 165 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 to better provide for the condition of our children and youth. It is time for our City to get back to the proven basics that have worked for over 50 years. It is time to get back to public recreation. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. McCrae.

My name is Jim Hellman. I took a lot of time thinking and preparing my testimony, and I choose not to be rushed. So if it's all right with you, I would like to submit copies for the record and I would like to be invited back to the next round of hearings so that I can testify in the proper time.

I assure you that that will happen. We are recessing this hearing at the call of the Chair. E suggest we are not finished. This is a part one of several parts before we condense all of the transcript and move it to summary which will provide recommendations and suggestions. So I thank 166 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 you for your understanding and for still allowing us to get this done and move it swiftly and give you the opportunity to come back. So be assured that you will be invited back and you'll be the first to testify. Thank you, gentlemen. My final question is for members of Philadelphia Family Court. You stated in your testimony that there are currently 5,000 young people coming through Philadelphia Family Court?

That's correct, Councilwoman.

Can you break that down by ethnic background? An estimate?

I'll give you approximate in terms of ethnic background. Probably the African-American population is probably better than 60 percent. Hispanic and Asian population probably roughly between 5 and 10 percent, with the remaining being white.

Recently in the press, a recommendation has come from Paul 167 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 Vallas that one way to deal with this unresolved debate around guns in school or not might be to have probation officers with a greater presence at the school door. Please speak to that.

Councilwoman, at this time, we currently have probation officers in of the high schools. We will add 10 Frankford High School as another school 11 probation sight as part of our specialized 12 services. We have targeted the high schools 13 in the City that deal with high degrees of 14 truancy, in violence, in habitual offenders. 15 I believe we have a very strong arsenal of 16 supervision services in those schools. 17 Ideally, we would like to be able to 18 have a school probation officer in every 19 school. But we, like other agencies, run into 20 to funding issues in terms of deployment of 21 staff and where we could put those probation 22 officers but still maintain high degrees of 23 supervision for those other youth. 24

That number, 25 what you've shared with us, was reached 168 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 through a collaboration discussion agreement with the School District?

That is correct. Typically, what would happen in the process is that we started out with these pilot nine schools and through their collaboration with the School District and also looking at the evaluation and data what's going on in the schools as well as the crime statistics. We have developed a protocol where if schools need a probation officer that we'll do our very best and we've been able to accommodate that in the last year or two provide five more schools probation officers.

My final comment and question is -- and I've gone on the record with this concern during budget hearings when the First Judicial District was before us. The ethnic make-up of the probation officer staff does not reflect the population by which you serve. And when we look at literature and research, there's everything that says young people who are of color do best or do better when they have role 169 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 models, supervisors, who look like them. So please speak to that.

I think that's a very relevant issue. Unfortunately, in terms of the historic from my predecessors and previous administrations, I have little or no control over that scenario. I will add, though, in the time that I've been there -- and I am generally the person that's involved with interviewing candidates, reviewing their credentials and test scores and making recommendations to the judge. In this one year period of time, we have hired new 15 probationes officers. I will break that down for you. In terms of Hispanic females, we have hired three Hispanic females, one Hispanic males, three black females, four black males, two white males, and two white females. A concerted effort has been made by this Administration to balance out the supervision of services in terms of race and gender. While it may have been ignored for whatever reason in the past or it did not come 170 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 into consideration, I've spent years in juvenile justice and probation services, 10 of those as a probation officer in Montgomery County, and I concur with the research and your own insights into probation officers's ability to establish rapport and relationships with particular officers. And I think in the past months we've been very proactive in 10 trying to remedy certain racial and gender 11 balances, and probation will continue to be 12 proactive along those lines. I will also add, it's not just the probation officers but under the reconstruction plan of probation, in an opportunity to provide equity and opportunity for all races and genders in terms of our supervisory staff, I developed a new protocol that every individual who took the promotions test was granted an interview. In the past, maybe only two or three would be granted an interview for each particular promotion classification. Every person that took the test and passed it was granted an interview. We interviewed almost 50 potential candidates. 171 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 I'm very happy to say that the balance in terms of the assistant and supervisors and administrative people showed a tremendous increase in terms of minority promotions, gender and minority. And I say this not because we did this to make sure we had X amount of blacks or X amount of whites or males or females. We opened this up to give every person an opportunity, where in the past they may not been able to, the opportunity for promotion and advancement. Those people were promoted not by race or gender, they were promoted because their experience, their achievements, and how they performed on the educational portion of the test and the interview.

I thank you for that encouraging update. At the bottom line, it is about equity and opportunity because you can have all those systems in place and still get treated unfairly when it comes to ultimate employment decisions. So I went on the record of April of this year saying that I am paying attention. There are a number at this Council 172 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 and at the state level paying attention to what is and is not happening with regard to, as you well put it, racial and gender equity over there at Philadelphia Family Court. So I seized the moment here. This is about services to young people, and part of the that process involves having people who supervise them look like them. So thank you again for the encouraging update. I believe Councilman Goode and Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell.

Thank you very much. I only wanted to say that we really believe that having probation officers helps to keep kids in school and helps to reduce crime. And we are for having as many probation officers as possible. We've really been advocating that for years, because if kids are in school and they can see a probation officer, they're not on the streets having to visit one and it just works better all the way around. We think in the long run that it will be more cost effective around the 173 12/1/04 - PARKS - RES. 040826 board. So certainly, we support that and we agree with the Chair that kids respond more easily to people who look like them and that whole issue is one that's very, very important. Thank you very much.

Thank you gentlemen, very, very much for staying and for your important testimony. Are there any other individuals who would like to testify? (No response.)

That's concludes testimony on Resolution 040826. This hearing shall stand in recess at the call of the Chair. Thank you again. - - - - 174 C E R T I F I C A T I O N I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing proceedings of the Council of the City of Philadelphia of Wednesday, December 1, 2004, were reported fully and accurately by me, and that this is a correct transcript of the same. RE: COMMITTEE ON PARKS, RECREATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS and EDUCATION _________________________ Lisa C. Bradley, RPR