Juvenile Justice Leadership Network

In partnership with the Council of Juvenile Justice Administrators and the Public Welfare Foundation, CJJR hosts a Juvenile Justice Leadership Network designed to provide public juvenile justice agency leaders a convenient and comfortable “place” to have open and honest dialogues on juvenile justice reform issues. This collaboration facilitates the convening on an informal basis of a small group of progressive and innovative public agency juvenile justice probation and correctional leaders at the state and local levels, to discuss their work in a safe environment, one that allows them to discuss their successes, failures and ongoing challenges.

Leaders considered for the Juvenile Justice Leadership Network  have shown the ability to lead a progressive reform agenda – designed at least in part to reduce the institutionalization of juveniles and develop a more comprehensive continuum of care in their state or local agency. These leaders have demonstrated a commitment, no matter how short or long the tenure in their position, to undertaking progressive reforms. This Network is a small, closed group that does not accept self nominations or nominations of others for participation.

The Juvenile Justice Leadership Network meets twice a year and helps strengthen peer support and the sharing of lessons learned from ongoing reform efforts across the country. The Juvenile Justice Leadership Network’s meetings conducted thus far have resulted in the formulation of ideas that the leaders will implement or fine tune for use in their reform efforts. Jurisdictions benefit more broadly as this information is shared, with the permission of the participants, with other leaders across the country. Hence, the Network bolsters the work of the top leaders in the juvenile justice field, increasing the probability of their successes while also potentially contributing to the work of the field as a whole.