In January of 1995, newly elected Governor Tom Ridge called the General Assembly into Special Session to focus exclusively on the issue of crime. Special Session No. 1 of 1995 would see the passage of 37 separate bills, 15 of which affected the juvenile justice system in some fashion. Together, these laws collectively represent the most dramatic changes in the history of Pennsylvania’s juvenile justice system. The most significant of the new laws was Act 33, which included the redefinition of the very mission of our juvenile justice system to require “…balanced attention to the protection of the community, the imposition of accountability for offenses committed and the development of competencies to enable children to become responsible and productive members of the community.” Now, 20 years later, Balanced and Restorative Justice remains the core mission and purpose of our juvenile justice system.