In April 1997, Westmoreland County had received a grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency to operate a full-time Community Service Program.

Pennsylvania is operating under a new line of thinking; it's called the "Balanced and Restorative Justice Model". The customers are the victims, juveniles on probation and the community. The goals are accountability, competency development and community protection.

The mission of this model is formed in the belief that justice is best served when the victims, community and juvenile probationers are viewed as equal clients of the justice system who will receive fair and balanced attention, be actively involved in the justice process, and gain tangible benefits from their interactions with the juvenile justice system.

The philosophy of the Westmoreland County Community Service Work Program is for juveniles on probation to repay the community for the wrongs which they have committed to themselves and the community along with providing the juvenile in promoting a sense of responsibility and developing self-esteem. It also provides the opportunity for the juveniles to meet individuals in the local community who provide positive role modeling as well as working and interacting with those individuals in a positive manner. It is our intention that juveniles who enter the system should exit the system more capable of being productive and responsible members of the community.

Currently, there are many agencies throughout Westmoreland County that provide job sites. They include the Juvenile Service Center's Adopt-A-Highway Program, hospitals, nursing homes, municipal authorities, police departments, recreational boards, fire departments, churches and various other community organizations. All sites must have written contracts with the Westmoreland County Juvenile Probation Office.

Any job duty that is assigned to a juvenile must comply with the Pennsylvania Child Labor Laws. All juveniles assigned to the Community Service Work Program are covered by insurance for personal injury.

Westmoreland County's Community Service Work Program will be done in two ways: Juveniles can be assigned a site with a supervisor or he/she will be taken out for group work at a site supervised by a Probation Officer Community Service Work Coordinator.

Juveniles that have to do Community Service Work will be notified by mail when they are to report for work duty. If for any reason a juvenile cannot make an assigned job duty, they must get a clearance from their immediate Probation Officer. The Probation Officer will then notify the Community Service Work Coordinator. If for any unexcused reason a juvenile misses a Community Service Work assignment, the Community Service Work Coordinator will notify the juvenile's immediate Probation Officer. If a juvenile fails to show up for Community Service Work the Community Service Work Coordinator will consult with the juvenile's direct Probation Officer and further court sanctions may occur.

Also, when a juvenile is placed at a work site, it is necessary that he/she act in an appropriate manner. If there is any inappropriate behavior, the juvenile will be asked to vacate the Community Service Work site, which could then result in further court action.

For further information, please contact:

Mr. Anthony J. Cremonese
Community Service Work Coordinator
Westmoreland County Juvenile Probation
2771 South Grande Blvd
Greensburg, PA 15601
Phone (724)830-4200
Fax (724)830-4257