Coalition for Juvenile Justice (CJJ)

06/28/2024

Due to disparities and inequalities, youth of color are disproportionately represented in the youth legal system, with statistics indicating that they make up between 85% to 90% of the LGBTQ population in some facilities. These alarming figures underscore the urgent need for targeted interventions and support to address systemic barriers and promote equity in the juvenile justice system.

06/26/2024

We would like to congratulate the winners of CJJ's 2024 Annual Awards, Adriana Wodrazka Espinoza, Rachel Bingham, Zanira Whitfield, and Kim Hawekotte. We are incredibly grateful for all the work you all have done to reform and improve our juvenile justice system.

06/25/2024

LGBTQ+ students are punished in schools disproportionately to both their misbehavior and their non-LGBTQ+ peers.

06/14/2024

LGBTQ+ youth are more vulnerable to sexual victimization in youth prisons than heterosexual youth. In research released in 2017, 15.1% of gay & bisexual boys and 8.9% of le***an & bisexual girls reported sexual contact with staff while in custody.

06/10/2024

LGBTQ+ juveniles are disproportionately involved with the justice system. This Pride Month, work to advocate for, uplift, and protect our q***r youth.

06/07/2024

Last week, CJJ hosted its 2024 Annual Conference, "Engaging Youth to Turn Passion into Policy". We are very grateful for all of our speakers, attendees, and staff. As we celebrate our 40th anniversary, we remain committed to creating a just and equitable juvenile justice system.

04/18/2024

The Coalition for Juvenile Justice (CJJ), in partnership with the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform (CJJR) at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy and the Center for Children’s Law and Policy (CCLP), with the support of OJJDP, is delighted to announce the launch of the new Center for Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities (R/ED) in Juvenile Justice. As part of this effort, CJJ and its partners will provide training, technical assistance and resource development designed to help the field promote racial equity and reduce racial and ethnic disparities in youth justice.

The Youth and Family Expert Advisory Council, composed of a cohort of up to 15 youth and family members, will advise on all matters related to the Center for Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Juvenile Justice. This will include providing guidance on the R/ED Core Requirement Compliance Training Series, Ending R/ED Innovation Lab, and the development of online resources. To learn more about this opportunity, visit https://lnkd.in/eJCyHdXX

04/02/2024

The Emerging Leaders Committee (ELC) is a partnership between CJJ and young people in the field of juvenile justice, many of whom bring lived expertise to their work. Our ELC Member of the Month is Erin Condon (IL).

Erin was nominated to be March ELC Member of the Month by ELC Member, Stephanie Lorenzo. She chose to nominate Erin because of her wealth of knowledge and experience in the juvenile justice space. Erin is "always able to bridge the gap of textbook knowledge and on the job experience," stated Stephanie. Erin is quick to provide additional research and always willing to go the extra mile.

03/27/2024

Join us tomorrow for Part II of our best practices for reentry webinar series!

Part II will be on Thursday, March 28th at 3PM EST and feature Tayz Enriquez-Banuelos from CJJ's Emerging Leaders Committee and Kelly Dunnigan from Lighthouse Youth & Family Services

To register for Part II, visit https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMvde2prDgvGtWJeoIWC6OrYvPffF9Fbj4k #/registration

03/21/2024

Join us for a two part webinar series on best practices for reentry!

Part I will be on Friday, March 22nd at 2PM EST and feature Sarah Billings from the National Network for Youth.

To register for Part I, visit https://ow.ly/e0uv50QYPBj

Part II will be on Thursday, March 28th at 3PM EST and feature Tayz Enriquez-Banuelos from CJJ's Emerging Leaders Committee and Kelly Dunnigan from Lighthouse Youth & Family Services

To register for Part II, visit https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMvde2prDgvGtWJeoIWC6OrYvPffF9Fbj4k #/registration

03/05/2024

The Emerging Leaders Committee (ELC) is a partnership between CJJ and young people in the field of juvenile justice, many of whom bring lived expertise to their work. Our ELC Member of the Month is Stephanie Lorenzo from Barrigada, Guam (U.S. Territory).

Stephanie was nominated to be February ELC Member of the Month by ELC Liaison, Emilio Carranza-Davis. He chose to nominate her because of “her passion for speaking up on the importance of those impacted by the juvenile justice system.”

02/22/2024

Join us tomorrow for a conversation about the realities of sealing and expungement, the disparate impact these policies have on Black and Brown families, and how those realities are changing in the wake of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

Speakers include:
Andrew Keats, Juvenile Law Center;
David J. Roberts, SEARCH Group Incorporated;
Hon. Karen Faulkner, District Court Judge, Louisville, Kentucky;
Moderator, Alyssha Dairsow, Co-National Racial and Ethnic Disparities Coordinator, Coalition for Juvenile Justice.

To register, visit https://ow.ly/bEbi50QGGkN

02/13/2024

Only a few days left to submit a workshop proposal for CJJ's 2024 Annual Conference!

This year's conference will be May 29th - June 1st at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, D.C. This year's conference theme will be "CJJ’s 40th Anniversary: Engaging Youth to Turn Passion into Policy."

To learn more about submission requirements, visit https://ow.ly/BY7q50QAKjI

02/09/2024

CJJ is seeking nominations for the 2024 Tony Gobar Outstanding National Juvenile Justice Specialist Award, an award that recognizes a state Juvenile Justice Specialist who has exemplified excellence in service to others; has been dedicated and committed to improving the juvenile justice system; and has demonstrated compassion and concern for youth and advocates.

To learn more about this award or nominate someone, visit https://ow.ly/rFil50QzKFO

02/06/2024

Join us for a conversation about the realities of sealing and expungement, the disparate impact these policies have on Black and Brown families, and how those realities are changing in the wake of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

Speakers include:
Andrew Keats, Juvenile Law Center;
David J. Roberts, SEARCH Group Incorporated;
Hon. Karen Faulkner, District Court Judge, Louisville, Kentucky;
Moderator, Alyssha Dairsow, Co-National Racial and Ethnic Disparities Coordinator, Coalition for Juvenile Justice.

To register, visit https://ow.ly/sfHP50QymFH

02/02/2024

CJJ's 2024 Annual Conference will be May 29th - June 1st at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, D.C. To submit a workshop proposal, visit https://ow.ly/oHyG50QxkMC

01/31/2024

The Emerging Leaders Committee (ELC) is a partnership between CJJ and young people in the field of juvenile justice, many of whom bring lived expertise to their work. Our ELC Member of the Month is Emilio Carranza-Davis from San Diego, California.

Emilio was nominated for this Member Spotlight by fellow ELC members Rebekah Arnold and Audi Wodrazka Espinoza. According to Rebekah, Emilio does "a great job at supporting with facilitation of meetings, keeping us on track and engaged, and has brought a great enthusiasm and high energy to each meeting."

01/29/2024

On February 5th, CJJ will welcome a new Executive Director, Melissa Milchman! Melissa brings to this role a decade of experience in the youth justice space, focused on system improvement, government administration, evidence-based prevention, authentic youth engagement, and collaboration among youth-serving systems and communities to improve outcomes for youth and families.

We are thrilled to have Melissa join us, and we cannot wait to see all of the great work she accomplishes in this position.

01/24/2024

Reminder: CJJ is accepting workshop proposals for its Annual Conference, "CJJ’s 40th Anniversary: Engaging Youth to Turn Passion into Policy." The Annual Conference will be May 29th - June 1st at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, D.C.

Proposals are due Friday, February 16th, 2024 at 5pm EST. To learn more about submission requirements, visit https://ow.ly/txFQ50QqsPW

01/17/2024

CJJ is seeking nominations for the 2024 Spirit of Youth Award, an award given annually to a young person who overcame personal obstacles in his/her life, but is now making significant contributions to society. To learn more about this award or nominate someone, visit https://forms.gle/XLwz8iaKpVBGCwTA7

01/12/2024

CJJ is now accepting workshop proposals for its Annual Conference, "CJJ’s 40th Anniversary: Engaging Youth to Turn Passion into Policy." The Annual Conference will be May 29th - June 1st at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, D.C.

Proposals are due Friday, February 16th, 2024 at 5pm EST. To learn more about submission requirements, visit https://ow.ly/txFQ50QqsPW

01/10/2024

The Coalition for Juvenile Justice is seeking nominations for the 2024 A.L. Carlisle Child Advocacy Award. This award is given annually to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to youth, to juvenile justice improvement efforts, or in the broader area of juvenile justice and delinquency prevention concerns. The deadline to submit nominations is March 4th at 11:59 pm ET.

The award is named in honor of A. L. Carlisle, the founder of CJJ. Starting as a volunteer activist dedicated to the nation’s most troubled and vulnerable youth, she eventually served as the first CJJ National Chair from 1979 - 1987.

To learn more about this award or nominate someone, visit
https://forms.gle/5A6GgFLR4ztnVkox9

12/22/2023

CJJ's Emerging Leaders Committee (ELC) is a partnership between CJJ and young people in the field of juvenile justice. ELC members develop leadership and advocacy skills, and learn about the juvenile justice system.

Our ELC member of the month is Hannah Krawczyk! Read more below:

12/20/2023

Early registration for CJJ's Annual Conference will close on February 1st. This year's theme is "CJJ's 40th Anniversary: Engaging Youth to Turn Passion into Policy."

To learn more about the event, visit https://www.juvjustice.org/events/conferences/2024-annual-conference

12/04/2023

On Wednesday, CJJ, Child Trends, and state and national youth justice leaders will be holding a webinar recognizing the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA). To register, visit

Please join Child Trends, the Coalition for Juvenile Justice, and state and national youth justice transformation leaders for a webinar recognizing the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA). The arc of the JJDPA over the last 50 years has evolved fr...

11/28/2023

As 2023 ends, CJJ would like to pause to thank members and allies like you who make our work possible. I hope you will continue to support us this with a generous donation to support Youth Voice and our critical work. To donate, visit https://ow.ly/JBME50Qc5Lb

CJJ continues to work hard on behalf of our members to help create a world that equips young people with the skills and support they need and treats all our young people equitably. Our goal is to help states implement successful strategies to support young people, while also working at the federal level to ensure that our members' voices are heard. This year is an important year not only for our continued work but also to take time to celebrate CJJ turning 40 years old. Thank you for your continued support!

11/15/2023

CJJ is currently seeking a skilled and visionary Executive Director to build on our exceptional 40-year record. The ideal candidate, based near the DC area, will have significant management experience and be prepared to expand existing relationships on Capitol Hill and across the federal government, lead fundraising efforts, effectively manage grants, and nurture a high performance culture to expand and sustain CJJ's initiatives in government relations, leadership development, juvenile justice reform, member services, communications, and training and technical assistance.

To learn more about this position and the application process, visit

Coalition for Juvenile Justice

11/09/2023

On December 6th, CJJ, Child Trends, and state and national youth justice leaders will be holding a webinar recognizing the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA). There have been some incredible accomplishments, but important and urgent challenges remain.

To kick off a series of events, a distinguished panel will discuss the history, significance, accomplishments, and remaining challenges of transforming youth justice systems across the country to be more effective and equitable. Panelists represent diverse perspectives including federal and state government, advocacy organizations, providers, families and youth, the judiciary, and prosecutors.

To register for this event, visit https://ow.ly/1uGR50Q608J

11/07/2023

At this year's Racial and Ethnic Disparities Conference, there was a wonderful musical performance by local students.

Thank you for sharing your talent with us!

11/07/2023

Last week, CJJ held its Annual Racial and Ethnic Disparities Conference in Louisville, Kentucky! The theme of this year's conference was "Breaking Cycles: Disrupting Systemic Inequalities to Create Lasting Change."

At this event, we honored Shalain Garcia, our 2023 Andrew Smith Awardee, and said goodbye to our Executive Director, Naomi Smoot Evans. Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make this year’s event such a success!