NJJN strongly supports the innovations of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation's Models for Change Initiative. The following documents distill the policy implications of some Models for Change innovations and summarize some of the research findings stemming from Models for Change-funded research.
Engaging Law Enforcement on Youth Justice Reform, September 2015
Snapshot: Using Re-entry Thinking to Guide Placement, May 2015
Unchain the Children: Policy Opportunities to End the Shackling of Youth in Court, October 2014
Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Juvenile Justice Systems: Promising Practices, September 2014
Time for a Check-Up: How Advocates Can Help Youth in the Juvenile Justice System Get the Mental Health Services They Need, Policy Update, January, 2014
Arrested Development: Confinement Can Negatively Affect Youth Maturation, Research Summary, December 2013
When Three's A Crowd: How Families Can Contribute to Their Child's Defense, Policy Update, June 2013
Six Policy Priorities for Juvenile Defense: Why Juvenile Defense Doesn't End in the Courtroom, Policy Update, May 2013
Doing It Right: Risk Assessment in Juvenile Justice, Policy Update, April 2013
Child Welfare: Gateway to Juvenile Court for African-American Youth, Policy Update, January 2013
Diverting Youth from the Justice System: Why and How, Policy Update, December 2012
Seven Ways to Improve Indigent Defense, Policy Update, November, 2012
Competency to Stand Trial in Juvenile Court: Recommendations for Policymakers, Policy Update, November 2012
Recipe for Reform School: Why Some Kids and Teens in the Child Welfare System End Up in the Juvenile Justice System, Policy Update, October 2012
Emerging Findings and Policy Implications from the Pathways to Desistance Study, Fact Sheet, September 2012
The Truth About Consequences: Studies Point toward Sparing Use of Formal Juvenile Justice System Processing and Incarceration, Research Summary, January 2012
Curbing Re-Arrest for Serious Offenses: Community-Based Alternatives for Youth as Effective as Institutional Placement, Fact Sheet, January 2010