Janet Reno Forums

The forums convene leadership experts, policymakers, researchers, practitioners, and advocates to discuss promising practices, new research, and policy reform proposals in the realms of juvenile justice, child welfare, and child and youth development. Each forum will be preceded by the development of a white paper, commissioned for the forum and developed by experts in the field. The paper will be presented at the forum to help frame the discussion.

2019 Janet Reno Forum: Building the Ideal Juvenile Justice System—Guiding Principles and Strategies for Reform

Registration is now open for our upcoming Janet Reno Forum on July 16, 2019.

The 2019 Janet Reno Forum seeks to answer the question: what exactly does the ideal juvenile justice system look like and how do we get there?

Join us for an exciting, thought-provoking event that will feature experts from around the U.S. discussing guiding principles and strategies for building the ideal juvenile justice system, including key approaches designed to:

Achieve equitable treatment and fairness
Promote developmental approaches
Engage and empower youth and families
Collaborate across systems of care, including education, behavioral health and child welfare

Participants at the Forum, which is sponsored by Youth Advocate Programs, Inc., will be the first to receive a new publication on the topic, commissioned by CJJR and the members of its Juvenile Justice Leadership Network. In addition, the Forum will feature the presentation of the third annual Janet Reno Endowment Women’s Leadership Award.

Who Should Attend

We encourage anyone who is interested in improving the lives of youth to attend the conference. Policymakers, practitioners, researchers, educators, judicial officials, community leaders, family members, foundation representatives, and more will benefit from this opportunity to hear from leading experts, as well as network with professionals from around the country and participate in a national dialogue on cutting-edge issues.

2019 Forum Agenda and Speakers

The 2019 Janet Reno Forum will feature four plenary sessions, along with the presentation of the Janet Reno Endowment Women’s Leadership Award. The final agenda is located here and session descriptions are as follows:

Plenary: Achieving Equitable Treatment and Fairness

At the heart of our nation’s democratic ideals is the notion that all individuals are entitled to equal protection under the law. In the context of juvenile justice policy and practice, this commitment to equity and fairness derives not only from constitutional and moral imperatives but also serves as an essential strategy for achieving positive outcomes for youth, families and communities. This panel will explore what a fair and just juvenile justice system looks like—one that ensures that youth and families are treated equitably regardless of race, ethnicity, gender and other characteristics. Panelists will discuss how attorneys, law enforcement officers, juvenile justice agency staff, and judges can advance this fundamental guiding principle, including efforts designed to address individuals’ biases and eliminate disparities faced by youth of color.

Moderator:

Shay Bilchik, Director, Center for Juvenile Justice Reform

Panelists:

Diana Becton, District Attorney, Contra Costa County, California
Kevin Bethel, Founder and Executive Director, Law Enforcement Juvenile Justice Initiative
Ana Bermudez, Commissioner, New York City Department of Probation
Hon. Louis Trosch, District Court Judge, 26th Judicial District, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina

Plenary: Promoting Developmental Approaches

A growing body of research teaches us that juvenile justice systems must fully embrace developmental approaches—that is, services, programs, policies and practices that acknowledge the distinct differences between adults and youth and that are tailored to support youth’s transition to adulthood in a strength-based manner. As highlighted by the National Research Council in its seminal piece six years ago, “Reforming Juvenile Justice: A Developmental Approach,” embodying a developmental framework can help systems achieve the goals of holding youth accountable for their actions, preventing recidivism, and treating youth fairly. This panel will discuss key dimensions of a positive youth development approach, including how to establish strength-based relationships between staff and youth, and how to account for and respond to the impact of trauma on the developing child.

Moderator:

David Muhammad, Executive Director, National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform

Panelists:

Shaena Fazal, Chief of Policy, Advocacy and External Communications, Youth Advocate Programs, Inc.
Clinton Lacey, Director, District of Columbia Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services
Dr. Monique Marrow, Founder, Youth Trauma and Justice Solutions

Plenary: Engaging and Empowering Youth and Families

Partnering with youth and families is a proven and essential strategy for achieving enhanced outcomes for system-involved individuals and communities. Elevating the voices of system consumers not only leads to increased youth and family engagement and trust with system staff and approaches, but also provides officials with key insight to drive system improvement efforts. This panel will examine how juvenile justice staff and partners can meaningfully engage and empower youth and families at the case practice and systems levels.

Moderator:

Macon Stewart, Deputy Director for Multi-System Operations, Center for Juvenile Justice Reform

Panelists:

Jeannette Bocanegra, Director of Family Partnership, Justice for Families
Ja’Vaune Jackson, Youth Justice Advocate; Member, Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission
Dr. Ryan Shanahan, Research Director, Center on Youth Justice, Vera Institute of Justice

Plenary: Collaborating with System Partners

In most jurisdictions, youth and families involved in the juvenile justice system simultaneously touch other systems, including education, child welfare, and behavioral health. In order to maximize resources and lessen burdens on youth and families, it is therefore essential that juvenile justice staff work with their system counterparts to operate coordinated, cross-system practices and approaches. This panel will explore how juvenile justice staff can work with partners in education, child welfare, and behavioral health to break down silos, increase information sharing, and collaborate to provide seamlessly integrated services and supports to youth and families.

Moderator:

Michael Umpierre, Deputy Director for Juvenile Justice System Improvement and Communications, Center for Juvenile Justice Reform

Panelists:

David Domenici, Executive Director, Center for Educational Excellence in Alternative Settings
Karli Keator, Director, National Center for Youth Opportunity and Justice, and Vice President, Policy Research Associates, Inc.
Linda Spears, Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Children and Families

Presentation of the 2019 Janet Reno Endowment Women’s Leadership Award

The Janet Reno Endowment Women’s Leadership Award honors a woman leader who has demonstrated a commitment and ability to effect change in her community or organization to benefit youth, particular those at risk of entering the juvenile justice or child welfare systems. The 2019 recipient of the award is Fatima Goss Graves, President and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center.

Forum attendees will have the opportunity to hear remarks from the inspirational Ms. Goss Graves who has spent her career fighting to advance opportunities for women and girls. Her passionate, dedicated leadership has helped to promote a number of issues central to gender justice, including ending sexual harassment, alleviating the systemic barriers to income equality for women and families, and promoting youth’s equal access to education.

In particular, Ms. Goss Graves has worked to advance educational opportunities for girls and change the public’s understanding of the challenges girls of color experience in school, including the school-to-prison pipeline. Her work was critical to the adoption of a White House initiative that detailed requirements and provided resources for schools related to girls who have experienced trauma, girls subjected to unfair discipline and corporal punishment in schools, pregnant and parenting students, and students who have experienced harassment and violence.

Ms. Goss Graves’ commitment to serving as a champion for women and girls over the years has truly been remarkable, which aligns so well with the career and legacy of Attorney General Janet Reno.

Download Forum Agenda

Hotels and Travel

The 2019 Janet Reno Forum will take place at the Georgetown University Hotel and Conference Center (GUHCC) located on the Georgetown University campus. CJJR has reserved a room block at GUHCC, which you can register for online using the button below. For more information, please see our page about traveling to and staying in Georgetown.

Book Your Hotel Room

Past Janet Reno Forums

2018 Janet Reno Forum: Transforming the Juvenile Justice System

2017 LEAD Conference