Looking Forward to Advancing Youth Justice With You in 2025!

Posted in Announcements News

From all of us at the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform, we want to thank you for all that you have done–and continue to do!–on behalf of our country’s children, youth and families. Like every year, 2024 brought its own unique set of challenges and heartbreaks, hopes and opportunities for progress. But in all our interactions with you and the communities we serve, we felt a constant heartbeat of dedication to making real a world that offers better outcomes for kids and their families. From the new and returning communities who participated in our Certificate Programs this year, to the jurisdictions deepening their work through our Crossover Youth Practice Model and racial equity initiatives, to the leaders involved in our leadership networks and system transformation initiatives, we have been inspired by your daily examples of compassion and professionalism.  The work is hard, but you don’t have to shoulder it alone. We are here to help!

Looking forward to 2025, we are excited about building on our existing partnerships while also launching a host of new programs and initiatives! You can see a preview of a few below, but as we head into 2025, be on the lookout for the new Reducing Crossover by Advancing Collaboration Certificate Program; an executive leadership training opportunity for youth justice professionals; the launch of the Innovation Lab and the R/ED Core Requirement Compliance Training Series through our OJJDP-supported Center; and new opportunities for tailored racial equity consulting and a Certificate Program on Advancing Racial Justice and Equity in Youth Legal Systems. 

While there are challenges ahead, we believe that with your innovation, dedication, and partnership, we can continue to see positive outcomes for youth and families all across the United States. We look forward to working with you soon!

Announcing the New Reducing Crossover by Advancing Collaboration Certificate Program!

Dual-system or crossover youth—those involved in both the child welfare and youth justice systems—face a unique set of challenges that significantly impact their development and well-being. These adverse outcomes are rooted in broader systemic barriers and inefficiencies. Many youth-serving systems—including child welfare, youth justice, education, and behavioral health—tend to operate in silos, making coordination of care for youth involved in multiple systems difficult, and often lack the trauma-informed, holistic care that meets these youth’s complex behavioral and emotional needs. Given these complexities, a coordinated, cross-system approach is essential. Leaders and practitioners from child welfare, youth justice, family court, education, behavioral health, and other youth serving sectors must develop a shared understanding of the challenges these youth face and the opportunities for system transformation.

Our new Reducing Crossover by Advancing Collaboration Certificate Program addresses these challenges and provides attendees a structured opportunity to enhance their knowledge, leadership skills, and collaborative strategies to better serve these youth. Designed for multidisciplinary teams and individuals working with dual-system/crossover youth, the Reducing Crossover by Advancing Collaboration Certificate Program equips participants with the tools necessary to design, implement, and sustain cross-system transformation efforts.

Brighter Futures: Transformational Leadership in Youth Justice

The executive leadership team of a youth justice agency plays a critical role in shaping the organization’s vision, goals and operations. When members of this team work together thoughtfully, effectively, and collaboratively, they can collectively position the agency to achieve positive outcomes for youth, families, staff, and communities. By investing in transformational leadership development, youth justice agencies can empower their executive teams to create supportive and inclusive organizational cultures that engage staff at all levels. 

With this in mind, JusticePath Advisors, in partnerships with the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform (CJJR) at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy and the Council of Juvenile Justice Administrators (CJJA), is offering Brighter Futures: Transformational Leadership in Youth Justice. This new initiative is specifically created to equip executive leadership teams in youth justice agencies with the knowledge, skills, and network necessary to foster supportive organizational cultures and improve system effectiveness. Through intensive training, personalized coaching, and peer learning, participants will build their strategic leadership capabilities and learn to lead with vision and purpose in an evolving system.

Watch the Premiere of the December Monthly Resource Spotlight Series, featuring Donielle Martin!

We are so pleased to present our interview with Donielle Martin, CEO and Founder of One Life @ A Time, an organization inspired by her son Terry, who was incarcerated at the age of 18. While incarcerated in 2019, Terry created the One Life @ A Time mentoring program to be the voice for the unheard and to give back to society in hopes the program would reach many. Donielle’s organization carries this work forward, working to inspire and empower youth and families to embrace their authentic selves. One Life @ A Time achieves this by providing opportunities, such as hands-on experiences, fostering self-expression, healing, creativity, and understanding the importance of discipline. Through promoting community involvement, they aim to help individuals uncover their truth and thrive despite societal stigmas, and together, “we will change the narrative.”​

Save the Date! The 2025 Janet Reno Forum Is Coming!

We are thrilled to announce that Thursday, April 24th will mark the return of our in-person Janet Reno Forum! The Forum will bring together communities, partners, and leaders for real conversations around urgent topics in youth justice, and how best to drive system transformation.

As we head into the new year, we’ll be releasing more information, so stay tuned. In the meantime, please save the date for the Forum on April 24th!