Celebrating 20 Years of JDAI and Youth Justice Reform in New Jersey

TRENTON – Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Juvenile Justice Commission (JJC) celebrated 20 years of implementing the groundbreaking Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI). The JJC hosted its 2024 Youth Justice Conference on Thursday, October 10th and Friday, October 11th.

The conference, titled Partners in Progress: Celebrating 20 Years of JDAI and Youth Justice Reform in New Jersey, convened approximately 300 attendees to explore a vision of youth justice that builds on 20 years of successful reform work. In furtherance of this vision, conference content featured information regarding community-led justice models, restorative justice, family and youth voices, and healing-centered approaches.

Opening speakers, including Attorney General Platkin, State Public Defender Jennifer Sellitti, and JJC Executive Director Dr. Jennifer LeBaron, welcomed local and state leaders involved in the implementation of JDAI, as well as national experts. Liz Ryan, Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Nate Balis, Director of the Juvenile Justice Strategy Group at the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and Raquel Mariscal, Senior Advisor for JDAI at the W. Haywood Burns Institute, led a discussion on the conference’s theme, focusing on the current state of youth justice and a collaborative path forward. Xavier McElrath-Bey, Executive Director of the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth (CFSY), helped wrap up the first day with a keynote address on the No Child Is Born Bad Campaign, reminding us that all youth, including those with past transgressions, have the capacity for positive change.

The two-day gathering offered a unique opportunity for youth justice stakeholders to participate in workshops and plenary sessions led by state and national leaders to gain insights into some of the newest approaches to youth justice, to discuss innovative ideas, and to strategize on how to expand a collective vision into new and challenging areas. Attendees discovered the transformative work taking place in other states, like the Vera Institute’s Initiative to End Girls’ Incarceration (EGI) focused on the diverse needs of girls, and initiatives closer to home, like New Jersey’s effective violence interruption programs being led by the Division of Violence Intervention and Victim Assistance (VIVA). JJC staff, accompanied by youth currently under the JJC’s care, highlighted the agency’s workforce development programs, efforts to amplify justice-impacted voices through the State Youth Advisory Board, and innovative approaches to healing.

“New Jersey has much to be proud of on youth justice reform: after two decades of national leadership, we continue to spark innovation and bring together national leaders to build upon these historic successes,” said Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin. “By focusing on the principles of JDAI and with the support of hundreds of stakeholders, the JJC has transformed youth justice in New Jersey, developing a system that safely keeps young people close to their homes and communities with the supports to help them and their families thrive. While there is still more work to be done, you can be confident in the fact that, no matter where you live in this State, there are objective and thoughtful practices around the well-being of our justice-involved youth.”

JDAI was developed in response to national trends reflecting a drastic increase in the use of secure detention for youth, and the resulting overcrowding of youth detention centers nationwide, despite decreases in youth arrests. JDAI works to reduce the number of young people unnecessarily or inappropriately held in secure detention, while maintaining public safety and ensuring youth appear for scheduled court dates. JDAI also works to redirect resources toward successful reform strategies and to improve conditions of confinement in detention facilities for those youth who require this most secure level of supervision. The result of these reforms is a more effective, efficient, and restorative system.

Since 2004, New Jersey has been at the forefront of the national JDAI effort, creating detention alternative programs that keep youth safely in the community while awaiting the pendency of their case. This work has had the most significant impact on youth of color.

“In New Jersey, we are honored to be recognized as trailblazers in the youth justice space. Through JDAI and our broader youth justice reform efforts, and relying on collaboration and partnership, we have successfully reduced the number of youth entering the justice system in our state, without compromising community safety,” said JJC Executive Director Dr. Jennifer LeBaron. “Conferences like this offer a critical learning opportunity and bring together partners who share a vision for a transformed youth justice system – one that is centered on youth well-being and driven by a desire to motivate and inspire our young people. Over the past 20 years, we have made incredible strides, and we are excited to keep the momentum going down the path JDAI has created for further reform.”

The JJC provides the management and staffing infrastructure for JDAI in New Jersey, and partners with the New Jersey Judiciary to provide the critical leadership needed to effectuate long-term, lasting change in the youth justice system. Through this partnership, JDAI is safely reducing the unnecessary use of secure detention in all of New Jersey’s 21 counties, and providing community-based opportunities and interventions for youth to grow and thrive.

Prior to New Jersey’s launch of JDAI in 2004, 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. Through a range of comprehensive and systemic reforms, most notably JDAI, New Jersey has significantly reduced the population of youth entering the criminal justice system and improved opportunities and community-led interventions for youth returning home following encounters with the justice system:

• Since 2004, New Jersey has experienced an approximate 85% reduction in the number of youth detained in county facilities as the result of JDAI.
• Over the same time period, there has been a 91% reduction in the number of family court-ordered commitments of youth to JJC custody, resulting in the virtual elimination of reliance on incarceration with the JJC for minor offenses;
• Of the decrease in youth population placed in county and state facilities, youth of color make up about 85% of the reduction. And with these reforms, there has been a decrease in youth involved in crime;
• The issuance of a statewide Attorney General Directive to law enforcement has aided in the diversion of non-violent youth from the juvenile justice system, and limited the likelihood of unnecessary detention when public safety is not at risk.

More information on New Jersey’s JDAI efforts can be here.

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The JJC was established in 1995 to serve as the single agency of State government with centralized authority for planning, policy development, and provision of services in the youth justice system. The JJC is committed to implementing and promoting policies and practices that improve outcomes for young people involved with the youth justice system, their families, and their communities.

The JJC’s three primary responsibilities are providing care, custody, and rehabilitative services to youth committed to the agency by the courts, supervising and coordinating services for youth released from custody on parole, and supporting local efforts to provide prevention and early intervention services to at-risk and court-involved youth.

Across a continuum of care, which includes secure care facilities, residential community homes, and community-based parole and transitional services, the JJC provides programming, supports, and opportunities designed to help youth grow and thrive and to become independent, productive, and law-abiding citizens.

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