The American juvenile justice system is fractured, costly, and inefficient. American adults spend an amazing amount of time on Facebook.
Today I’m going to throw a spotlight on where those two subjects intersect. As you may have noticed, social media has become an instrumental tool for advocacy and activism over recent years. It is only natural that we should find people and organizations mobilizing for reform of the way we treat juveniles.
Today I’m going to share a number of these with you, and since Facebook is the dominant platform at the moment let’s see what we can find there. (The descriptions following each entry are directly quoted from each group’s Facebook page.)
The Virginia Juvenile Justice Association
Mission: To advocate for quality services for juveniles (due process, evidence-based practices, proven models,
program integrity/standards, outcome measures). To enhance the professionalism and skills of our members (professional development, skill building, practice improvement, resources, technical assistance,awards for excellence, recognition). To foster communication among our members (collaboration, networking, publications). To promote alternative approaches to resolving youth and family problems (diversion, risk-basedgraduated responses, least restrictive environment).
Coalition for Juvenile Justice
Mission: CJJ is a nationwide coalition of State Advisory Groups (SAGs) and allies dedicated to preventing children and youth from becoming involved in the courts and upholding the highest standards of care when youth are charged with wrongdoing and enter the justice system.
Since 1984, CJJ has supported a broad and active coalition across all 56 U.S. states, territories and the District of Columbia, as the nonprofit association of Governor-appointed SAG members operating under the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA), along with allied staff, individuals and organizations. CJJ members include concerned individuals, practitioners, advocates and youth who voluntarily serve at the state and national levels. CJJ is governed by an Executive Board of national and regional officers. All of CJJ’s formal positions on policy and related matters are developed and approved by a super-majority of the CJJ Council of SAGs. The Council comprises the Chairs or Chair-designees of SAGs holding membership in CJJ.
Connecticut Juvenile Justice Alliance
Mission: The mission of the Connecticut Juvenile Justice Alliance is to reduce the number of children and youth entering the juvenile and criminal justice system, and advocate a safe, effective, and fair system for those involved.
The Connecticut Juvenile Justice Alliance accomplishes its mission by serving as a catalyst for systems reform. The Alliance employs the following strategies in pursuit of its mission: Legislative education and advocacy; Strategic communications; Community organizing; as well as National, state, and local partnerships.
Mission: Citizens for Juvenile Justice (CfJJ) is the only independent, non-profit, statewide organization working exclusively to improve the juvenile justice system in Massachusetts. We advocate, convene, conduct research, and educate the public on important juvenile justice issues. We believe that both children in the system and public safety are best served by a fair and effective system that recognizes the ways children are different from adults and focuses primarily on their rehabilitation.
CfJJ advocates for a fair and effective juvenile justice system in Massachusetts, designed to promote the healthy development of children and youth so they can grow up to live as responsible and productive adults in our communities.
Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana
Mission: To transform the juvenile justice system into one that builds on the strengths of young people, families and communities to ensure children are given the greatest opportunities to grow and thrive.
These are all good starting points for those who wish to engage this topic on Facebook. If you know of any other resources on the topic of juvenile justice please leave a link in the comments. I’ll be doing a follow up to this post soon with even more resources, and if you suggest one I use I will happily provide credit.
Now, go explore Facebook!
Image Source: Max – B on Flickr, used under it’s Creative Commons license
