Under the leadership of JJC, and in partnership with the Judiciary, New Jersey continues to serve as a national model for youth justice reform and as a model site for the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI). Prior to New Jersey’s launch of JDAI, approximately 12,000 youth were admitted to county detention centers pending resolution of their court cases annually, and approximately 1,200 youth were committed to the custody of JJC as a disposition. In 2023, the number of youth detained in county facilities had declined by about 87%, to 1,613 youth, and the number committed to JJC facilities by the Family Court had declined by 92%, to 94 youth. Of particular significance, youth of color account for about 85% of the reduction in youth placed in both county and state facilities, and youth crime has decreased by 83% since JDAI implementation.
In 2023, JJC continued to grow its Youth Worker Apprenticeship Program. Providing access to meaningful, paid employment and job training opportunities is among the most effective strategy for ensuring the long-term success of youth returning home after time spent with in JJC care. The Youth Worker Apprenticeship Program hires youth released from JJC custody as paid, part-time youth worker trainees for up to 18 months, allowing them to obtain critical training, develop job skills, and enhance their eligibility to apply for full-time employment with JJC or other social service agencies. Apprentices receive continuous training, coaching, and support while in the program, and youth currently in the care of JJC benefit from the credible messenger approach, a peer-to-peer support model that has been embraced as an essential component of a transformative youth justice system.
JJC took substantial steps to strengthen post-secondary, career and technical education, as well as employment readiness opportunities for young people in its programs. This effort included working with Defy Ventures, a national non-profit focused on helping formerly incarcerated individuals successfully re-enter their communities, to introduce an entrepreneurship program, “CEO of Your New Life,” which teaches concepts that allow young people to find entrepreneurial success and build fulfilling careers. Further, in collaboration with Mercer County Community College, JJC launched a 24-week Heating, Ventilation, Air-Conditioning, and Refrigeration technician certification program. Finally, JJC expanded its partnership with two institutions of higher learning that currently provide college level courses to youth in JJC’s care who have obtained their high school diplomas and wish to pursue an associate degree. In 2023, JJC offered 34 academic college courses with 109 youth enrolled in one or more courses.
