Overview
The Criminal Justice Advisory Board (CJAB) addresses the immediate and future needs of the county’s criminal justice system by researching, planning and recommending solutions that integrate and prioritize the best approaches to criminal justice policies and program planning.
The Franklin County Criminal Justice Advisory Board (CJAB), in adherence to CJAB bylaws, meets at 12 p.m. on the last Thursday of February, April, June, August and October, and on the second Thursday of December. CJAB meetings are held at the Franklin County Judicial Center, 14 North Main Street, Chambersburg, in Courtroom 6.
Mission
The mission of the Criminal Justice Advisory Board is to create a forum of leaders that collaboratively addresses the immediate and future needs of the Franklin County criminal justice system by researching, planning and recommending solutions that will integrate and prioritize the best approaches to promote justice for all those in the Franklin County community, to enhance the delivery of services to victims of crime, and to increase safety within our communities.
Regulation and Oversight
Overseen by the Franklin County Commissioners and the Franklin County judges, CJAB is chaired by President Judge Shawn D. Meyers and co-chaired by Commissioner Chairman Dean Horst. Members of CJAB include, among others, county commissioners; county judges; county administrator; court administrator, human services administrator, the children, youth and families administrator; district attorney; the public defender; a magisterial district judge representative; police representative; sheriff; warden; adult probation chief; victims’ rights advocates; and community representatives.
Criminal Justice Snapshot
In 2023 (the most recent data available), there were 1,608 new criminal cases filed in Franklin County. The chart below illustrates the most common offenses committed. There was a total of 2,359 criminal cases available for processing, of which 1,689 were processed in 2023.
Of new cases filed in 2023, most were misdemeanors (61.8%).
In 2023, there were 442 new juvenile delinquency cases. The chart below shows a breakdown of types of new juvenile cases in 2023. There were 562 cases available for disposition in 2023, 404 of which were disposed.
Meeting The Needs
In Franklin County’s 2025 budget, $0.77 of every General Fund tax dollar supports services related to crime, courts and corrections. Of the overall county funds allocated specifically to the county’s criminal justice system, 85.2% is from the General Fund, 9.61% from fines, charges, contributions and other, and 5.19% is from grants and other state and federal funding.
Strategic Plan
At least every four years, the Franklin County CJAB adopts a strategic plan to define its objectives and the means by which the board plans to achieve them. The board routinely conducts self-assessments to check its performance against objectives set forth in the strategic plan, using established indicators. The most recent CJAB Strategic Plan is available below.
Sequential Intercept Model (SIM)
The following report includes the most recent results from the CJAB Behavioral Health subcommittee’s annual Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) session. Since 2009, the SIM has been used as a resource for referencing available behavioral health services and coordinating efforts to address identified top priorities to improve the continuum of criminal justice/behavioral health services in Franklin County.