Looking back at the Tutko Grand Jury: What's Next?
August 2, 2019- Yesterday we marked the five year anniversary of the death of Jarrod Tutko, Jr. Jarrod lived and died in the shadows. No long after his death, someone placed a banner on his Green Street home that read- "The boy on Green that no one has ever seen". Five years later the anniversary of his death almost passed unnoticed. Letting our memories of Jarrod's death fade into the same shadows that hid him from the world during his brief life would be a mistake. Neither Jarrod nor the lessons we learned from his death should be forgotten.
Dauphin County's Eighth Investigating Grand Jury spent many months documenting Jarrod's life and exploring ways in which we, on both the local and state levels, can improve the services we provide children like Jarrod in the future. Much like Jarrod's life, the work performed by county caseworkers is performed in the shadows. Dauphin County has taken substantial steps towards implementing the recommendations of the 'Tutko' Grand Jury. However, the issues the grand jury identified, in particular issues related to training, high caseloads and caseworker turnover, continue to hamper local efforts to make even greater progress towards the goals set forth by the grand jury. These are issues that cannot be handled solely at the local level. New caseworkers, many just coming out of college, are unprepared for the reality of the substantial challenges they will face at a county CYS agency. High caseloads, with no relief in sight, further demoralize these hardworking caseworkers. All of these factors lead to a never ending revolving door of caseworker departures from county CYS agencies.
So what's next? Over the next few weeks we will take a closer look at the Tutko Grand Jury's recommendations. We will highlight the changes Dauphin County Dauphin County has made in the wake of the grand jury's report and the continuing steps they are taking to improve the services they provide. We will also explore the challenges county agencies and caseworkers still face everyday across Pennsylvania. This is not about pointing fingers or assigning blame. It is about reviving a honest discussion of the issues. One that is in danger of fading into the shadows yet again. "What's next?" is a conversation that needs to happen now. We cannot and should not wait for another child to die before we shine our attention on this topic. Along the way we hope to gather others to join us in not only discussing the issues but more importantly actively helping to seek solutions to these problems. This is how I plan to keep the memory of Jarrod's life from fading away. Please join us next week as this conversation continues. --Seán McCormack, Chief Deputy District Attorney
In the meantime, you can learn more about the Tutko case and the grand jury report below:
