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| Kevin Lott |
As I've been telling you for several months, there's a serious staffing shortage at Northampton County's Juvenile Justice Center. It's actually a statewide problem caused by low pay, and has prompted juvenile court judges to request that higher salaries be paid to youth care workers. The Lamont McClure administration has offered a contract that pays the same amount of money that corrections officers get, but union negotiators rejected this and declared an impasse. It wasn't until two weeks ago that the Pa Labor Relations Board bothered to schedule an arbitration for the end of June.
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| Tara Zrinski |
While waiting for an arbitration, Court Administrator Jermaine Greene has tried everything to provide manpower. He's tried getting more part-time positions. He's tried increasing the salaries paid to supervisors. Most recently, he's tried adding "assistant supervisors" to the workforce. Along the way, Council members Kevin Lott and Tara Zrinski have thrown up roadblock after roadblock.
Lott has demanded performance and sustainability reviews and has even accused Greene of union bustin.' Zrinski, who once was sanctioned for lying in a custody dispute, accused Greene of being deceptive. Both were clearly bothered that the "assistant supervisor" positions being sought by Greene are nonunion. That question can easily be answered with a unit clarification petition. There was no need for the histrionics.
The Express Times has tagged Lott and Zrinski for playing to the unions.
Actually, I think it's far more serious. Lott and Zrinski are obstructing every effort made to solve a staffing shortage. While this continues, juveniles who should be detained are instead out on the street. Sooner or later, someone is going to get killed because they are playing games instead of doing what is right for public safety.
22 comments:
Norco voters should look in the mirror and see the real turkeys.
You crazy man.
Zrinski is a fraud. Vote her out.
I get that the NorCo juvenile facility has a staffing shortage, but leaders find solutions.
If juveniles who should be detained are being released instead, why not find an alternative?
Perhaps Northampton County could contract with another county (that has the capacity) to house those juveniles?
I'm no fan of Lott or Zrinski, but I think the blame for that the car-jacking juvenile mentioned in your post being released to carjack again goes far beyond the two people you mention here.
Allowing juveniles who need to be detained to be released seems like either a lack of leadership (by many people), or a dangerous game of brinksmanship to get only the solution somebody wants.
9:11, You are absurdly suggesting that officials purposely released this juvenile to cause precisely what happened. It is actually a lack of leadership, but not from the courts. They have been warning, and in numerous counties, that there are juveniles who need to be detained and who are going to reoffend unless room can be found to detain the,. And that requires staffing. And throughout the state, there have been other instances of juveniles who are reoffending bc there are no consequences for their delinquent behavior. This child should have been detained but it was originally thought he was out of county bc the first charges were from Monroe. The lack of leadership in NorCo is an (1) unwillingness to pay staff what is needed; which led to the shortage; (2) refusal to negotiate a very small difference in how pay is given to senior youth care workers; (3) appalling delay in scheduling an arbitration; and (4) throwing up obstacles to every attempt the court administrator makes to address the staffing shortage.
Perhaps Zrinski and Lott are waiting for a juvenile to kill somebody before they realize this is a crisis.
The only person who has acted like a leader is Jermaine Greene, and he isn't even an elected official.
Bernie at 10:53 -
What you detail is a problem if you have the viewpoint that NorCo needs their own juvenile detention center.
My point remains that there likely are alternatives to that, if those in charge want to find them.
The Easton Express and The Morning Call should award themselves Turkeys.
We're still recovering from those who were forced to leave due to vaccine requirements and the county's clinging to them, long after many agencies did away with them. The clinging went on way too long, and certainly long after staffing problems began to be discussed. Lott and Zrinski bear as much responsibility as the others who supported bad policies.
"We're still recovering from those who were forced to leave due to vaccine requirements and the county's clinging to them, long after many agencies did away with them."
The county followed national policy. The staffing shortage was caused by low pay, not a vaccine mandate.
Most other counties are having the same problem. There are private placement facilities like ABRAXAS but they charge 200 to 300 dollars A DAY per kid. The simple solution is to raise salaries and make the detention center a desirable place to work.
I still believe that Zrinski is so far left that’s she’s part of the abolitionist crowd. She seems to want to eliminate the police and jails.
"What you detail is a problem if you have the viewpoint that NorCo needs their own juvenile detention center."
There certainly is a need for detention centers. Judges impose detention as a last resort and primarily out of a need to keep the public safe. It also provides treatment for juveniles with behavioral issues. If you're suggesting detention serves no legitimate purpose, you are absolutely wrong. If we were to abandon a JCC, as some counties have, juveniles who are detained can be sent as far away as four hours. This makes treatment far more difficult and destroys families who already have limited income to make those trips.
Lott and Zrinski have behaved irresponsibly and have failed to serve the best interests of the community.
Is the Express times forgetting this:
https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/opinion/2022/07/somethings-wrong-at-northampton-county-juvenile-justice-center-council-must-act-turkeys-trophies.html
If only the pay was the reason for the staff shortage. Does it have something to do with it ? Yes. But if you asked former employees why they left, they will tell you its management. Thats the problem down there. And why doesnt anyone ask Jermaine why he fought against raises there for years, but now all of a sudden he thinks they should make more ? Ridiculous
These reviews say it all:
https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Northampton-County-Juvenile-Justice-Center/reviews
Nowadays, Juvenile Detention Facilities ARE used as a last resort, so the populations, can vary greatly.
What I’m saying is that EVERY county might no longer need its OWN juvenile detention center.
What does Lehigh do? Or Monroe, Bucks or Carbon? Could NorCo use their facilities or partner on a joint facility with them?
I constantly hear all this talk about regionalism but for something like this (where it makes sense) it doesn’t seem to come up.
3:09, NorCo's JJC IS a regional facility that houses juveniles from other counties when it has the staffing that can handle it. Right now it barely can handle its own.
No secret McClure wants th Juv center goner. You can never believe that, but it is known at the courthouse. Lott and Zirinski get their instructions before every meeting on what to say and how to vote from team McClure. Zirinski even involved herself in union business by contacting th union business agent to discuss the contract negotiations and how to vote. It is one thing for McClure and the union boss to work hand in glove with each other but another for a council person to get involved. That union gives her a great deal of money for all her campaigns so there may be a conflict of interest. It is one thing for you to be a McClure spokesperson but another for a member of council to do that.
It is unfortunate that she allows herself to be used all th while claiming to be a strong and independent woman.
Last I looked there are 7 other council members who if they wanted to can make these two irrelevant. Why did they do nothing should be what this story is about.
"No secret McClure wants th Juv center goner. You can never believe that, but it is known at the courthouse."
This is absolutely false. McClure understands the need for the JJC. I do not feel it would be right to share publicly what he told me, but you couldn't be further from the truth.
"Lott and Zirinski get their instructions before every meeting on what to say and how to vote from team McClure."
I am sure they speak with him prior to meetings, but doubt they would consider what they are told "instructions."
"That union gives her a great deal of money for all her campaigns so there may be a conflict of interest"
I looked at her pre-primary report as well as the pre-=primary and post-primary reports for her state senate bids. I see no contributions from AFSCME. It may have gioven her $ in prior campaigns, but not in the past year. Accepting a contribution from AFSCME is not a conflict of interest. It would raise eyebrows, which us why McClure should not take their $. He negotiates contracts with them.
"Zirinski even involved herself in union business by contacting th union business agent to discuss the contract negotiations"
I wonder where you heard this. Incidentally, I have called AFSCME several times about the JJC and have reported on those conversation. It is by no means improper for a Council member to talk to union reps.
"Last I looked there are 7 other council members who if they wanted to can make these two irrelevant. Why did they do nothing should be what this story is about."
Zrinski and Lott are two of nine. The other seven did make them irrelevant with their votes. What more do you suggest? These are two duly elected members of County Council and have just as much right to voice their opinions as the others. It makes no difference that they are totally wrong. They also represent the people who put them there.
"If only the pay was the reason for the staff shortage. Does it have something to do with it ? Yes. But if you asked former employees why they left, they will tell you its management. Thats the problem down there. And why doesnt anyone ask Jermaine why he fought against raises there for years, but now all of a sudden he thinks they should make more ? Ridiculous"
If I understand you correctly, you claim the problem at JCC is low pay and poor management. That has also been cited as the problem at Gracedale, Human Services, 911, jail and courthouse. Always easy to blame the boss. Rarely true.
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