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JJ Monitor
March 2018


Join us on Capitol Hill!
On June 27, 2018, CJJ's members will have the opportunity to make their voices heard before Congress. Schedule your meetings today and join us as we educate Senators and Representatives on the importance of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, and the essential role that federal juvenile justice funding plays in the states!

CJJ's Hill Day is held each year to kick off our Annual ConferenceLegislative offices are just a short walk or cab ride away from our conference hotel,  the Hyatt Regency

Prior to their meetings, participants will be able to attend   training sessions  to help them  prepare. Participants will also receive briefing materials that they can use during their meetings and leave behind with their members of Congress.

Participants should schedule their own meetings on Capitol  Hill. To find your Members and their contact information click  here. For more information about  Hill Day, please contact Naomi Smoot at  smoot@juvjustice.org.

2018 CJJ Annual Conference

This year's workshops and plenaries will take place from June 28th through the 29th, and will focus on the latest research, developments, and challenges facing our field today. 
The following questions will be addressed in meetings, table-talks, and workshops alike:
  • How can states and communities serve as leaders in shaping a better juvenile justice system?
  • How can we improve collaborations with young people with lived experiences in the systems we work with?
  • What can be done to leverage partnerships to help improve physical and mental health services, and better address youths' needs for education and housing?
  • What role does advocacy play as communities seek to improve services and provide for trauma-informed care for children and youth?
A draft of the agenda can be found  here , and  to register or book your hotel today click  here

Become a sponsor or exhibitor!
Join us as a sponsor or exhibitor at CJJ's 2018 Annual Conference! To learn more about sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities, please review our  2018 Sponsor and Exhibitor Information Packet . To apply to be a sponsor or exhibitor at this year's conference, please click  here  or contact CJJ Executive Director, Naomi Smoot at smoot@juvjustice.org.

Executive Board Nominations
Interested in serving on CJJ's Executive Board? Learn more about the roles and responsibilities of CJJ's 
Regional Chairs , and our  National JJ Specialist . Click  here  to nominate yourself or someone else for one of these positions. Elections will be held during our 2018 Annual Conference.   

Stay tuned for additional details and speaker announcements!

Those with questions should contact CJJ Executive Director, Naomi Smoot at  smoot@juvjustice.org or 202-467-0864 ext. 113. 



Nationally, law enforcement officers are not adequately trained in key information necessary to dealing competently and effectively with youth - including disproportionate minority contact. 

Forty-five states offer no model policies to guide law enforcement officers' and agencies' interactions with youth. Most juvenile justice reform efforts focus on changing systems that address youth 
after the point of arrest.

These factors help explain why the largest point of racial disparity occurs at the point of arrest, and is hard to decrease as youth go deeper and deeper into the system.

This webinar will demonstrate the vital role advocates can play in filling these gaps. It will showcase initiatives state advocates are implementing to address law enforcement's role in improving the effectiveness of the juvenile justice system, by adopting developmentally-appropriate, trauma-informed equitable approaches to policing youth.

Participants will hear from Lisa Thurau, Chief Executive Office and Executive Director at  Strategies for Youth, and Andrew Smith, CJJ National Ethnic and Cultural Diversity Chair.


When implementing evidence-based programs for youth and their families, there's not much room for error.
 
This webinar will feature the award-winning Juvenile Justice Incentive Grant Program administered by the Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) in partnership with the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice and Evidence-Based Associates (EBA).

Attendees will hear about 'mistakes' made along the implementation pathway and steps taken to remedy the shortcomings. Favoring 'progress, not perfection,' the Georgia partnership has yielded tremendous outcomes for youth, families, partners and the citizens of the Peach State - including a more than 50% reduction in out-of-home placements each year since project inception.


To learn more about these webinars and how to register, click here!  

 
Would You Like to Blog for CJJ?
CJJ is looking for bloggers for  CJJ Today  to author stories and posts about j uvenile justice. We're particularly interested in stories from    State Advisory Group members or staff,  CJJ individual    and  youth members , and  CJJ organizational members , about issues at the state or local level, interesting programs or approaches, and perspectives about the course of juvenile justice reform at the local or state level. We also welcome blog posts from other juvenile justice system stakeholders. Blog posts can be between 400-750 words in length. Click  here  to see our other guidel ines for blogs.  
Suggested topics could include:   
  • School to Prison Pipeline
  • Girls in the Juvenile Justice System
  • Remedying Racial and Ethnic Disparities
  • Adolescent Brain Development 
  • Evidence-Based Practices
  • Status Offenses
  • Family and Youth Involvement
  • Promising Practices or Program Spotlights
  • If interested please email info@juvjustice.org for more details. 
                                     
Want to see news that's important to you in the CJJ Members and Partners section? 

Join CJJ as a member today! 
Member Spotlight
Maryland
Earlier this month, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan announced that his administration has awarded a total of $2,687,169 in grants to better serve children and youth. These grants will be distributed by the Governor's Office of Crime Control & Prevention to 96 agencies statewide to be utilized throughout the fiscal year.

These award programs aim to empower communities by supporting reform in Maryland's juvenile justice system. For instance, the University of Baltimore Truancy Court Program is reducing truancy by reconnecting students and their families with schools and working to break the school-to-prison pipeline for vulnerable and at-risk youth. The office of Crime Control & Prevention made over $180,000 in funds available through Title II (JJAC) to support this effort.

"By providing access to support from schools, families, and community resources, we can help divert low-level juvenile offenders to supervision programs in their communities. This not only helps to avoid deeper involvement in the juvenile justice system, but also increases chances for success," said Glenn Fueston, Executive Director of the Governor's Office of Crime Control & Prevention. 

Other Announcements
NJJN Seeks Leadership Institute Applicants
The National Juvenile Justice Network is accepting applications to the 2018-19  Youth Justice Leadership Institute  until April 23, 2018. 
 
The Institute is a robust, year-long fellowship program geared towards advocates and organizers of color working in the youth justice field. It  seeks to elevate and reinforce the leadership of people of color who know how to transform the oppressive systems harming communities of color.  

Want to become a YJLI fellow, or know an advocate/organizer of color who wants to make big youth justice changes? To apply, click here.


Other News and Announcements
EVENTS AND TRAININGS
  • The Reconnecting Youth Campaign's 2018 Advocacy Academy is  now open for application . The application deadline is March 23, 2018 at 5PM (EST). 
  • Registration is open for the Second Annual National Symposium on Solutions to End Youth Homelessness, April 30-May 1, 2018 in New York, New York. To register, click here.
NEW PUBLICATIONS AND RESOURCES
  • Supporting Partnership for Anti-Racist Communities (SPARC) released their "Phase I Study Findings" on racial inequity and homelessness, which documents how people of color are dramatically more likely than white people to experience homelessness in the United States.
CJJ invites you to share news from your SAG, organization, state, or region! Inclusion and editing of submissions are subject to CJJ editorial guidelines.