Five Pennsylvania Counties Partner to Open Regional Youth Detention Center
Berks County commissioners approved a regional agreement with four other counties to reopen a former juvenile facility to address a critical shortage of detention beds.
The Berks County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution on July 23, 2026, to establish the Keystone Regional Youth Detention Center. The project utilizes an intermunicipal cooperative agreement between Berks, Dauphin, Delaware, Lackawanna, and Lehigh counties to reopen a former detention center in Bern Township that had been closed since 2012.
Officials stated the partnership addresses a severe shortage of juvenile beds across Pennsylvania and the United States. This deficit previously forced some offenders to spend weekends in probation offices and necessitated sending female minors to Maryland or Ohio. Christian Y. Leinbach, chair of the board, clarified that the facility is intended specifically for minors involved in violent crimes rather than low-level offenses.
Dauphin, Delaware, and Lackawanna counties signed the agreement in early July, while Lehigh County is expected to sign in August. The facility will be located at the former Berks County Juvenile Detention Center site on County Welfare Road.
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