From Crisis to Compassion: Commissioner Leinbach Charts a Smarter Path for At-Risk Youth

Berks County Commissioner Christian Leinbach once again took center stage on The Good Government Show, highlighting a bold and compassionate new initiative—a youth shelter that aims to rehabilitate, not just restrain, troubled teens.

Speaking with host David Martin, Leinbach shared the urgent impetus behind the project: “These kids already have a problem—and we were putting them in hotels with guards, no programming, and no path forward. That wasn’t just expensive, it was unconscionable.” Berks County responded by opening a county-run youth shelter in July 2024, funded in part by a $6 million state grant.

The program targets “hard-to-place” minors, many with serious mental health or behavioral challenges. “They’ve been through the system, they’ve been failed by it—and this shelter gives us a second chance to do right by them,” Leinbach said. At any given time, the shelter houses 8 to 12 youths, with wraparound support focused on stabilization, recovery, and re-entry into schools or homes.

But the conversation didn’t stop there. Leinbach revealed that the county is also partnering with Dauphin and Lehigh counties on a more ambitious effort: a regional youth detention facility for violent juvenile offenders. “No single county could afford it alone,” he explained. “But by working together, we’re solving a shared problem—and that’s what good government looks like.”

Leinbach, now in his 18th year as commissioner, has also led the county’s celebrated R3 re-entry program, which supports adults exiting incarceration with vocational training and life-skills coaching. With a graduation rate near 70% and recidivism under 4%, it’s become a national model. “We all make mistakes,” Leinbach told graduates. “What matters is what you do next—and you’ve already made the first move.”

Throughout the interview, Leinbach returned to a central philosophy: “Good government is doing the right thing without considering the political benefits or risks.” That includes evolving personally. “In the 1980s, I was a ‘tough-on-crime’ guy. But today, I understand that just throwing people in jail isn’t working. We have to intervene smarter, earlier, and more compassionately.”

Whether it’s homelessness, criminal justice reform, or mental health care, Commissioner Leinbach continues to show what happens when leadership and humility go hand in hand. “It’s not just about programs,” he said. “It’s about people. And it’s our job to give them a chance to succeed.”