NJJN Forum 2023 Recap!

On July 24th — 26th, The National Juvenile Justice Network held our NJJN Forum 2023!

This year, our Forum focused on “Justice is Healing: Community for Collective Liberation & Well-being,” in Los Angeles California! We were excited to co-host with multiple of our California member organizations, including Arts for Healing and Justice Network, Youth Justice Coalition and the Anti-Recidivism Coalition.

NJJN members, community partners and allies representing directly-impacted youth and family advocates, legislative policy advocates, community organizers, researchers, direct service providers, system stakeholders and philanthropic partners gathered to share in 2 ½ days of collective visioning for the world our movement can help create. Grounded in the values of healing justice, we worked together to share strategies, values, successes and hope for the future!

Check out our recap of this year’s Forum below, and make sure you’re following us on Instagram, YouTube and Flickr to see more videos and photos from NJJN Forum 2023!

To kickoff the Forum, we were lead in a healing justice opening session with NJJN Youth Justice Leadership Institute Alums:

• Dr. Tierra T. Ellis — Licensed Clinical, School Psychologist, and Community Psychologist; Founder/Executive Director of Psyches of Color, Inc.; CEO of Ellis Psychological Services, Inc.; Co-owner of Authentically Black Services, LLC; Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
• Dr. Maria León, Manager of Advocacy and Strategic Communications, Youth Justice Initiatives Team, Columbia Justice Lab

NJJN YJLI Alum Amore Alvarenga, Senior Program Associate for Impact Justice led Forum participants through a collaborative and creative activity to imagine what a truly just community looks like.

NJJN Forum participants create a mural of an imagined future of what true justice looks like for youth, families and communities.

Youth advocates share their imagined future of what true justice looks like for youth, families and communities.

NJJN Youth Justice Leadership Institute Alum Ashley Sawyer, Senior Attorney, Advancement Project National Office, gives our lunch keynote address.

Advocates from Arts for Healing and Justice Network led our Forum in a storytelling exercise to show the power of art to allow young people to take agency of their true story and to present complicated narratives in creative ways.

During the Forum’s Mapping NJJN’s Youth Justice Narrative Strategy session, members collaborate on creative narrative change campaigns.

All smiles during our Day 1 Forum reception with advocates from Progeny of Kansas!

NJJN Executive Director Tracey Tucker (left) presents Leon Smith (right), Executive Director of Citizens for Juvenile Justice in Massachusetts, NJJN’s Beth Arnovits Gutsy Advocate Award.

Tiffany Williams (center), Youth Justice Leadership Institute alum and founder of Victorious Consulting, receives NJJN’s Diana Onley-Campbell Movement Builder Award. The award was presented by William’s mentee and young leader Jahi Ferguson and NJJN Executive Director Tracey Tucker.

Youth Justice Coalition (YJC) Organizer Tauheedah Shakur (center) receives NJJN’s Young Justice Leader Award, presented by YJC Co-Executive Directors Justin Marks (left) and Jade Green (right), and NJJN Executive Director Tracey Tucker (far right).

Frank Valdez (right), Organizer with the Legal Aid Justice Center in Virginia receives NJJN’s Emerging Leader Award. The award was presented by Fallon Speaker, Legal Director of Youth Justice Program at Legal Aid Justice Center.

During Day 2 of the Forum, panelists discussed the campaign to raise the minimum age of youth prosecution across the country and specific efforts in Massachusetts and California. Panelists included:

• Laura Abrams (right), Professor of Social Welfare and Department Chair, Luskin School of Public Affairs, University of California Los Angeles
• Leon Smith (center), Executive Director, Citizens for Juvenile Justice
• Patricia Soung (left), Juvenile Justice Consultant

In solidarity with the Youth Justice Coalition #FreeLAYouth campaign, NJJN members and allies attended YJC’s Youth Rally and Resource Fair! The Youth Rally and Resource Fair was held at the LA County Board of Supervisors to lift up the name of Bryan Diaz, an 18 year old who lost his life inside the Barry J Nidorf juvenile hall this spring and to demand Los Angeles County officials release young people from horrific conditions under probation custody & defund probation to invest in youth.

In solidarity with the Youth Justice Coalition #FreeLAYouth campaign, NJJN members and allies attended YJC’s Youth Rally and Resource Fair! The Youth Rally and Resource Fair was held at the LA County Board of Supervisors to lift up the name of Bryan Diaz, an 18 year old who lost his life inside the Barry J Nidorf juvenile hall this spring and to demand Los Angeles County officials release young people from horrific conditions under probation custody & defund probation to invest in youth.

Youth Justice Coalition provided a tour of Chuco’s Justice Center, a youth and community space, resource center and gathering place for organizers, artists, educators and organizations building a social justice movement in Los Angeles.

In partnership with Represent Justice, NJJN’s Forum featured the premier of “A Million Dollar Cage,” a documentary film produced and featuring Kent Mendoza (centered), Manager of Advocacy and Community Organizing at the Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC) and Represent Justice Ambassador. Kent was joined by a panel of youth advocates from ARC to discuss their experiences returning home overcoming their experiences in youth detention facilities.

On Day 3, California advocates shared progress and critical lessons learned from the advocacy community during the passage of legislation to close California’s Department of Juvenile Justice. Panelists included:

• Jasmine Dellafosse (right), Youth Justice Community Advocate
• Grecia Reséndez (center), Policy Analyst with the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice
• Dafna Gozani (left), Senior Policy Attorney with the National Center for Youth Law

There’s lots more to share from our powerful 2 ½ days together. View more photos in our Flickr Photo Collection!

Don’t miss future NJJN events and conversations. Get on the list to find out about our upcoming virtual and in-person events.