Berks County Attorney Recognized for Innovative Leadership in Juvenile Justice
Oct 9, 2009, Marie Roda
Joseph A. Guillama, Esq. recently received the Violence Prevention Roundtable of Berks County Distinguished Leadership Award for his work with minority youth in the criminal justice system. Mr. Guillama is the site coordinator for the Racial and Ethnic Disparities Reduction Project in Berks County, which is part of the Pennsylvania Models for Change initiative. Models for Change is a national initiative funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to accelerate reform of juvenile justice systems across the country.
"Joe's leadership is vital to violence prevention efforts among young people in our community,” says Chris Fegley, Managing Chairperson of the Violence Prevention Roundtable of Berks County. “His experience as a defense attorney gives him a unique insight into the struggles they face. But what sets him apart from other leaders is his willingness to turn new ideas into action. The Roundtable has benefited from his participation on several occasions and on several issues. He is one of the few who pursues a shared vision of change in a rigorous, yet diplomatic way."
Guillama was also nominated by the Community Prevention Partnership to receive the CARON Foundation Unsung Hero Award for his work in the community. He received the award at the 13th Annual Berks County Community Service Awards Breakfast.
Believing in Kids: An Interview Joe Guillama
Q. You seem so passionate about this work... What is it that drives you?
A. It really bothers me that so many kids who are incredibly intelligent, talented, and have the ability be tomorrow's leaders are often neglected and unloved at home and, as a result, develop low self-esteem, low self-worth, issues with trust, and a negative and pessimistic outlook on life. It bothers me that this causes these children to seek out negative peers to take on the role of the family they do not have at home. Through my work I have learned how extremely fortunate I was to have a mother and a father who told me they loved me, encouraged me, became involved with my childhood activities. I am saddened by how many kids do not have the things I took for granted growing up. This, coupled with the fact that I still very much relate to the 15 year old kid inside of me, makes it easy to be passionate about my work.
Q. What would you say to skeptics who think these kids are a waste of time and resources? Why is it important to invest in them?
A. The skeptics are often those who haven’t taken the time to have a real talk with these kids one on one. The skeptics are often those who have not taken the time to go to a troubled kid's home to see the environment in which he or she is raised. The skeptics are those who either don't know or choose to ignore or downplay the tremendous disadvantages that these kids have in many aspects of their lives. The skeptics are those who do not believe the tremendous impact a child's environment has on their psyche, self-image, and social development. The skeptics fail to acknowledge that it is much easier to turn their backs on these kids and simply proclaim them as incorrigible than it is to spend time with them and show them genuine concern and attention. Many of these children have been neglected, criticized, put-down, and flat-out rejected their entire lives. Those who think it is a waste to invest in these children have chosen to perpetuate that problem rather than be a part of the solution. Quite simply, the skeptics are taking the easy way out.
Q. What do you gain from the work you do with and for the kids?
A. For one thing, it helps me stay and feel young! Seriously, so often these kids do not trust anyone and have a very negative outlook on life. It makes me very happy when a kid opens up to me and entrusts me with his/her deepest secrets and concerns, particularly when that kid has done that with so few people throughout his/her life. It is very satisfying knowing, when this happens, that I have helped a kid to learn to embrace humanity rather than reject it.
Q. What advice would you give to other communities across the country about organizing efforts for troubled youth?
A. Bringing people together based on our commonalities as opposed to emphasizing our differences is key to effectively organizing efforts for troubled youth. One's race or ethnicity is often not one's most defining characteristic; we truly do share more as Americans and as individuals living in this country than we do not share as members of our own ethnic or racial groups. In working directly with kids, I try to focus first and foremost on the individual needs and circumstances of each kid I am serving as opposed to making assumptions about what a kid's needs might be based on his/her race or ethnicity. I am concerned that some people in this field, despite being well-intentioned, place way too much emphasis on the race/ethnicity of kids in determining a course of action for helping them.
Kids want adults they can trust and who have a genuine concern for their well-being, regardless of the kids' or the adults' race/ethnicity. Compassion and affection truly are color-blind. In organizing efforts to help troubled youth, I try to convey the notion that, at least initially, we should be looking at these kids not as members of certain racial or ethnic groups but as human beings who need the guidance of mature folks who genuinely care about them.
Lastly, I have to say that I began my career as an attorney in the public defender's office and I dreamed of being a trial attorney defending adults in high-profile cases.
Early in my public defender career I was assigned to represent juveniles and, initially, I thought the juvenile justice system was a joke. It was more of a family court than it was a criminal court - it was very "touchy-feely." It was the passion I saw in Judge Arthur Grim that inspired me to do my job to the best of my ability. I noticed that he cared so much about the kids who were coming into his court, and initially I felt that I could not let him down by doing a mediocre job. He held me to a very high standard and this pushed me to work more closely with the kids I was representing. I was quickly able to learn why Judge Grim cared so much about these kids as I was able to see where they were coming from and the kinds of issues these kids were constantly confronting. Had I begun my career with another judge, it likely would have taken me a longer time to see the importance of what we are doing in the juvenile justice system. I have been very fortunate to begin my career, particularly as a juvenile defender, under the guidance of Judge Grim. He has taught me the meaning of compassion through the way he runs juvenile court and the way he works with and cares about the kids who appear before him.
- Issues
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Community-based alternatives
, Racial-ethnic fairness/DMC
- States
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Pennsylvania
- Action networks
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DMC Action Network