In a new blog post, OJJDP Administrator Liz Ryan reflects on the Office’s work with youth and families during her tenure.
Administrator Ryan discusses the launch in 2022 of OJJDP’s Youth and Family Partnership Working Group and its impact on OJJDP activities, best practices, programs, and performance measures. She notes that it was a working group recommendation in 2023 that led to language in OJJDP’s notices of funding opportunities asking applicants to specify how they will partner with youth and families.
Administrator Ryan's blog describes OJJDP’s development of a pilot program for young people with lived experience in the juvenile justice system; an internship program for law students interested in youth justice and child welfare; and three youth justice fellowships with OJJDP’s Youth Reentry Training and Technical Assistance Center.
The blog also highlights OJJDP's 2024 National Conference on Youth Justice last November in Washington, DC, which centered on young people and brought together more than 2,500 attendees to discuss transforming juvenile justice. Ryan discusses a new resource released at the conference, “Partnering With Youth and Families: A Best Practices Guide for Youth Justice Stakeholders.”
“Every aspect of OJJDP’s work centers young people and families who are directly impacted by the juvenile justice system—from the policies we develop and implement to the programs we support and fund,” Ryan writes. “We do more than work for justice-involved young people—we work with them.”
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