Mission

The Center for Juvenile Justice Reform supports and educates leaders across systems of care to advance a balanced, multi-system approach to improving outcomes for, and promoting the positive development of, youth at risk of juvenile justice involvement...Read More

Our Work

The Center for Juvenile Justice Reform currently works with jurisdictions nationwide to help them better translate knowledge on “what works” into everyday practice and policy. The Center provides on and off-site training, networking opportunities, webinars and more to help state and local agencies develop and implement system improvement efforts…Read More

Meet the Staff

Michael Umpierre
Director

Michael Umpierre is the Director of the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform, where he is responsible for overseeing all of CJJR's programs, initiatives, research, and operations. ...Read more

Macon Stewart
Deputy Director, Multi-System Operations

Macon Stewart joined CJJR in May 2008....Read more

Jill Adams
Deputy Director, Certificate Programs

Jill Adams is the Deputy Director of Certificate Programs at CJJR, overseeing and continuously expanding the Center's portfolio of multi-system trainings in response to the needs of the child-serving field....Read more

1528 Leaders. 1275 Fellows. 433 Teams. 320 Local Reform Efforts. 43 Certificate Programs. 49 States & DC. 7 Countries.

The Center for Juvenile Justice Reform supports the development of leaders in juvenile justice and related systems of care through our Certificate Programs. We help them achieve better outcomes for the young people in their care by assisting in the implementation or improvement of a diverse range of juvenile justice reform initiatives that address racial disparities and disproportionality, multi-system collaboration, social service improvement, statutory and court reform, and many other issues. The leaders we train come from across the United States and all over the world, including American Samoa, Australia, Bolivia, Canada, Cameroon, Puerto Rico, Red Lake Nation, St. Lucia, and Thailand.

Family Is Essential: A Conversation with Family Advocates about COVID-19 and Youth Justice

Posted April 17, 2020

As youth justice agencies race to prevent and respond to the harms of the novel coronavirus, families are essential partners. In this webinar, hosted by the Vera Institute of…Read more

Webinar: Navigating the Impact of COVID-19 on Juvenile Justice Policy and Practice

Posted April 08, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic currently presents significant challenges for juvenile justice policy and practice. In the face of this crisis, juvenile justice leaders and partners are working around the clock to…Read more

Supporting LGBTQ Youth
Postponed (TBA)

The Supporting the Well-Being of System-Involved LGBTQ Youth Certificate Program is designed to help juvenile justice, child welfare, and other system partners target and improve outcomes for at-risk LGBTQ youth....Read more

Length of Stay Policy Academy
Postponed (TBA)

A key reason that jurisdictions struggle to improve outcomes for youth in the juvenile justice system is that the most common disposition—probation—remains largely unexamined and unchanged. Probation is often the default disposition for many youth whose needs could have otherwise been met through diversion or other non-probation responses. Once on probation, youth frequently face a litany of rules and orders disconnected from the offense and the goal of recidivism reduction...Read more

School-Justice Partnerships and Diversion Pathways
Postponed (TBA)

The School-Justice Partnerships and Diversion Pathways Certificate Program is designed to provide school and district staff, court professionals, law enforcement, and other child-serving community leaders with the knowledge and understanding necessary to address the immediate and long term needs of students known to, or at risk of entering, the juvenile justice system. ...Read more