Coalition for Juvenile Justice Conference: Call for Presentations

The Coalition for Juvenile Justice (CJJ) is seeking presentation proposals for its May 20-24, 2011 national conference, “Fair & Equal Justice: Alternative Sentences and Sanctions for Youth.” 

Each spring, CJJ hosts a national conference focused on improving juvenile justice and delinquency prevention systems, services, practices and policies. This conference is expected to draw more than 250 juvenile justice practitioners and advocates from across the United States and its territories.

CJJ will select a maximum of six (6) proposals for presentations lasting up to 90 minutes.  Workshops must address one or more of the following subject areas:

• Policy and/or practice changes for youth charged with status offenses that prevent and/or limit their involvement with the juvenile justice system/delinquency court and detention.
• Testimonials from youth and families (possibly with practitioners as co-presenters) whose contact with the juvenile court benefitted from access to alternative sentencing options, including explanations why alternatives to detention/incarceration led to better outcomes than would have been achieved from institutionalization.
• Legislative and other policy reforms that have resulted in progressive sentencing options that emphasize de-incarceration and community/family based care for youth charged with delinquent offenses, including grassroots and family-led reforms.
• Connections between alternative sentencing, community-based alternatives, family involvement with the improved outcomes for youth of color in conflict with the law/DMC reduction efforts.
• Progressive sentencing options that reduce costs of services and sanctions and improve youth, family and community outcomes.
• Ways to use principles and practices of restorative justice to enhance victim- offender dialogue and institutionalize alternative sanctions and sentences.
• Progress being made in state sentencing reforms to eliminate transfer and waiver of youth to criminal court jurisdiction and/or eliminating/modifying juvenile life without the possibility of parole. 

All interested parties are encouraged to respond. However, CJJ strongly encourages state advisory groups (and their state and local partners) who have successfully implemented sentencing reforms and/or alternatives to incarceration policies and practices, to submit workshops for consideration.

Download the full guidelines for proposals here.
Deadline: Friday, March 11, 2011, 5:00 p.m. EST.

Questions? Contact Mark Ferrante, CJJ Director for Leadership and Training Programs.

[Adapted with minor changes from a Coalition for Juvenile Justice press release. -Ed.]
Photo: Daeyhun Park.