Center for Youth Justice at Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy

Join us on June 3rd for a virtual info session about our new, tuition-free 12-month Community Development and Engagement Initiative! Create a fundamental shift in power imbalances and center the voices of those most impacted. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gazWAHN3

What can we do to ensure that the tragedies of our past don’t write the story of our future? Alongside Youth Advocate Programs, Inc., we are proud to announce registration is now open for the 2026 Janet Reno Forum on September 10th! “America’s Youth Justice Story: Unearthing the Past and Reimagining the Next Chapter” will be an in-person, one-day conference held in our nation’s capitol that explores the past, present, and future of America’s Youth Justice story through the lens of truth-telling and creative expression. Through a series of plenary sessions, we’ll meet storytellers, leaders, community-members, artists, and advocates as they each, in their own ways, serve as truth tellers to effectuate change and rewrite the next chapter of youth justice. Attendees will also experience an array of creative expressions including an art gallery, spoken word, music, and more from justice-driven and system-impacted artists. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gvKUwjgj

REMINDER: APPLICATIONS DUE THIS WEEK! Our new Youth in Custody 12-month hybrid program from works with agencies and system leaders to create the conditions for positive futures for kids in their care. Participants will utilize evidence-based tools to assess youth’s risks and develop individualized case plans that promote youth well-being and long-term success. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gbrg3kkg

Addressing deep-seeded system inequities faced by youth of color, socioeconomically marginalized youth, and isolated youth in rural communities require more than simple policy reform. Learn more about the Center for Youth Justice’s Community Development and Engagement Initiative, now accepting applications through July 10. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gazWAHN3

REMINDER: Applications for our Youth in Custody Certificate Program are due next week!!! Our new hybrid program shines a light on the complex and serious needs of youth in facilities, serving as an accessible venue for leaders to develop capacity, effectuate change, and begin or accelerate system improvements to better serve this population. https://lnkd.in/ghEv8jJp

We are proud to announce we are now accepting applications to join the Community Development and Engagement Initiative. Addressing deep-seeded system inequities faced by socioeconomically marginalized youth, youth of color, and isolated youth in rural communities require more than simple policy reform. This new Initiative is a comprehensive program designed to address these inequities and advance fairness in practice within a selected jurisdiction’s youth justice system. Over a 12-month period of intensive, collaborative engagement, CYJ will provide ongoing on-site and virtual coaching, technical assistance, and support for implementing sustainable accountability structures. Thanks to the support of The Navigation Fund, there is no financial cost to participate in this initiative. Full application materials, registration for a virtual info session on June 3rd, and more information can be found on the Community Development landing page. Don’t miss this opportunity to create a community-focused youth justice system in your jurisdiction. Applications open through July 10, 2026. https://lnkd.in/giWKfqEx

Our Navigating Stakeholder Dynamics Virtual Workshop starts this Wednesday!!! There is still time to register. For a sneak peak at some of the topics we'll be discussing, check out our blog post that dives into how to move past the "single incident" trap where an outlier event becomes the “story” that drives decision-making, even when data shows that it isn’t the trend. https://lnkd.in/gUTZFVaT

Last call to join next week's Navigating Stakeholder Dynamics Virtual Workshop! When working across youth-serving systems and organizations, the challenge is not that stakeholders do not care. More often, it is that they are working within different mandates and accountability structures. They also face different public pressures and have vastly different risk tolerances. Our workshop next week helps you proactively identify these different obstacles, create and implement a plan for effective collaboration long before there is a problem, and make sure that these dynamics are sustainable and not a one-off! Learn more and join us on May 6th and 7th: https://lnkd.in/gGaPvcZf

New Video! Creating Better Futures Begins with Positive Youth Development and Community Engagement In 2024 we had the opportunity to speak with Brett Peterson from Utah Juvenile Justice and Youth Services and Jill Mata, from the Bexar County, Texas Juvenile Probation Department. The conversation focused practical strategies for partnering with youth, families, and community organizations in residential settings. A key takeaway was the positive impact of positive youth development practices and working directly with community partners. You can watch a clip of the webinar below! https://lnkd.in/g_R755PV

The Center for Youth Justice at Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy, in partnership with the Annie E. Casey Foundation, has selected six jurisdictions for the 2026 Transforming Juvenile Probation Certificate Program. The selected jurisdictions include: --Augusta, Georgia; --Hinds County, Mississippi --Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee --Memphis and Shelby County, Tennessee --Sacramento County, California --Santa Cruz, California This multi-year initiative supports multidisciplinary teams in redesigning probation systems from compliance-driven models to developmentally focused approaches that promote positive youth outcomes and reduce system involvement. They will begin this work in Washington, D.C. in June, followed by ongoing technical assistance. Please join us in congratulating these six jurisdictions as they step up to lead the next wave of youth probation transformation! https://lnkd.in/guDPaBjQ