Center for Improving Youth Justice

🎉 Celebrating 20 Years of Impact – Final Profile Spotlight 🎉 As we close out our 20 Profiles for Our 20th Anniversary series, we are honored to feature Hunter Hurst, Director at the National Center for Juvenile Justice and a long-time collaborator with CIYJ. Hunter shares his journey from growing up in a family of social workers to championing data-driven solutions that improve outcomes for young people in the justice system. His impactful contributions, such as helping staff bring data directly to young people in the field, showcase how technology and structure can transform the youth justice landscape. Thank you, Hunter, and thank you to all the incredible changemakers we’ve highlighted this year. Your passion and dedication are helping build a brighter future for young people and their communities. 🔗 Read Hunter's full story and revisit all 20 profiles here: https://lnkd.in/eGQc-WaS #YouthJustice #20thAnniversary #CIYJ #Changemakers #AmplifyingImpact 

🎉 20 Profiles for our 20th Anniversary: Celebrating Benjamin Stoddard 🎉 As part of our 20th Anniversary series, we’re spotlighting Benjamin Stoddard. Ben’s dedication to relational safety and trauma-informed practices at the Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections exemplifies the transformative work needed to create better futures for young people. Discover more about his work and how he’s effecting change in the youth justice field: https://lnkd.in/dhQTq9YW.

Meet Lisa Bjergaard, Director of North Dakota's Division of Juvenile Services, our next featured profile and a dedicated CIYJ partner for 18 years! Lisa highlights how CIYJ's data-driven approaches have transformed youth justice by enabling cultural and systemic reforms. Lisa explains how bold, data-informed actions can create lasting positive change for justice-involved young people. Join us in celebrating Lisa’s incredible contributions to youth justice and her unwavering commitment to improving young people's outcomes. Thank you, Lisa! Check out all our 20 Profiles for Our 20th Anniversary: https://lnkd.in/eGQc-WaS #YouthJustice #CIYJ20

💡 New Blog Alert: 5 Ways to Inspire Staff 💡 We’re back with the next installment of our 5 Ways to Use Performance-based Standards series! This time, we’re diving into practical strategies for inspiring staff—the backbone of every successful site and program. This post is packed with actionable ideas for motivating your team and creating an environment where everyone thrives, from recognizing achievements to fostering a culture of growth. 👉 Read the full post here: https://lnkd.in/dBjFfPQH Whether you’re a leader looking to energize your team or seek fresh ideas to build positivity and purpose, this is for you. Let’s continue to amplify impact together! #PerformancebasedStandards #Leadership #StaffInspiration #AmplifyingImpact #youthjustice #ciyj

🌟 Relive the Magic of YJAM: Watch Our Highlights Video! 🎥 This Youth Justice Action Month, we brought powerful voices together for our panel: Second Chance Stories. It was an unforgettable event in which young people shared their experiences, resilience and hopes for the future of the youth justice system. If you couldn’t join us—or if you want to be inspired again—check out the highlights video on our blog: https://lnkd.in/efx8WAAN This panel, with heartfelt stories and impactful takeaways, reminded us why we work hard to create opportunities for justice-involved young people. Thank you so much for sharing your insights with us Jaclyn Cirinna, Ronaldo V. and Diego Garcia Let’s keep the conversation going! After watching, share your thoughts or tag someone who needs to hear these voices. Together, we can make second chances a reality. #YJAM #YouthJustice #SecondChanceStories #AmplifyingImpact

Next up in our 20 Profiles for 20th Anniversary series, we’re honored to feature Lauresa Hart, Community Transitions Administrator with the Department of Children, Youth and Families/Juvenile Rehabilitation. With three years of working with CIYJ, Lauresa has been pivotal in bringing community supervision standards to the Department of Children, Youth and Families/Juvenile Rehabilitation. Her dedication to treating each young person like her own fuels her work and her commitment shines through in every success story she shares. Thank you, Lauresa, for your impactful contributions! Check out all our 20 Profiles: https://lnkd.in/eGQc-WaS #CIYJ20 #YouthJustice #CommunityImpact

We’re featuring Dan Schaub as the next profile in our 20 Profiles for 20 Years series celebrating CIYJ’s 20th anniversary! Dan, a Community and Parole Administrator with three years of working with CIYJ, has dedicated 34 years to youth justice. He’s passionate about CIYJ’s commitment to treating young people with respect and the impact of programs like Kids Got Talent and our Employment Matching Award, which empower young people and support their reentry journey. Thank you, Dan, for your dedication to making a difference! Check out all our profiles: https://lnkd.in/eGQc-WaS

📢 Introducing CIYJ's latest series: 5 Ways to Use Performance-based Standards!  Throughout this month, we're excited to share practical insights in a four-part series that explains how Performance-based Standards can enhance operations and outcomes in youth justice settings. Our first installment, "5 Ways to Improve Staff Buy-In," explores effective strategies for building team commitment to impactful standards. https://lnkd.in/eXMCWu95 Join us as we share valuable tools each week to empower your organization! #CIYJ #PerformancebasedStandards #YouthJusticeReform #YouthJustice #Leadership #Teamwork

We’re excited to announce the winners of the 2024 CIYJ Pencil & Palette Creative Contest! This contest showcased the incredible creativity and resilience of young people nationwide. We received an astounding 95 entries from 21 facilities in 14 different states! Congratulations to Jacob from EASTERN OREGON YOUTH CORRECTIONAL FAC for winning the Drawing/Painting category, Raeliannah from Oak Creek Youth Correctional Oregon Youth Authority for Poetry, and Makenzie from Florida Parishes Juvenile Detention Center for Short Story. Thank you to the staff who made this possible, encouraging young people to share their stories and talents. Make sure to check out the winner entries here: https://lnkd.in/eicWhjiv

🎉 Celebrating 20 Years of Impact! 🎉 Next up in our 20 Profiles for Our 20th Anniversary series is Tanya Banks, Superintendent at Ferris School, Delaware Youth Rehabilitative Services Division. With 11 years of working with the Center for Improving Youth Justice (CIYJ), Tanya's dedication to supporting justice-involved young people has been remarkable. Tanya’s passion and commitment inspire us all and we're proud to recognize her as part of our 20 for 20 Anniversary celebration! Read about all our honorees: https://lnkd.in/eGQc-WaS Thank you, Tanya, for all your hard work and dedication! 🙌 #YouthJustice #SecondChances #20for20 #CIYJ #AmplifyingImpact #Leadership