Youth Justice Transformation in Action

What does it actually mean to defend a young person's rights? In this episode, our Executive Director John Tuell speaks with Mary Ann Scali, Executive Director at The Gault Center to explore nearly 30 years of evolution in the fight for youth justice. We talk about the 1967 Supreme Court ruling that gave the organization its name, why In re Gault remains as relevant as ever as we mark its 60t...

In the first episode of Season 5, we speak with Dr. Rita Poteyeva, Director of the Innovation Center for Youth Justice (ICYJ) at James Madison University (JMU). In this discussion, we explore the creation and evolution of the ICYJ, including its core pillars of activity—such as the Youth Justice minor, research, symposia, and internship opportunities—and how these efforts are helping shape the fut...

When a young person gets into trouble with the law, what if the first step wasn’t prosecution—but a second chance? In San Diego County, the District Attorney’s Office is leading a bold shift through the Juvenile Diversion Initiative, a program designed to reroute youth away from the justice system and toward real support. In this episode, Executive Director John Tuell speaks with Samira Seidu, Chi...

In this episode, Executive Director John Tuell speaks with Gary Ivory, President and CEO at Youth Advocate Programs, Inc. (YAP) about its transformative role in youth justice over the past 50 years. Together, they explore YAP’s primary goals, its evolution since its inception, and the personalized services it offers to youth and families. Through individualized treatment, YAP helps youth stay out...

In this episode, Executive Director, John Tuell, interviews Dr. Keith Cruise, Professor and Director of Clinical Training for the Department of Psychology at Fordham University. Dr. Cruise introduces the groundbreaking projects underway at the Center for Trauma Recovery and Juvenile Justice, showcasing how trauma-informed care is reshaping youth justice. Together, they will explore the vital role...

In this episode Executive Director John Tuell interviews Mark Werner, Director of Juvenile Redeploy Services for the Circuit Court of Cook County Juvenile Justice Division. Juvenile Redeploy Services, in partnership with probation, offers an alternative to incarcerating youth in the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice. Through collaboration with community-based organizations, the program emplo...

In this episode, complementing the release of the GFCM Guidebook , Executive Director John Tuell engages in a discussion with Jonathan Cloud, the creator of the GFCM approach and co-author of the guidebook. Their conversation explores how GFCM transforms youth justice practices by prioritizing support for youth during their critical developmental stages, fostering positive identity formation, and...

What is an emerging adult? In our season premiere of Youth Justice Transformation in Action, our Executive Director, John Tuell, speaks with Lisa Jacobs, Associate Director of Legislation and Policy Clinic at Loyola University Chicago, School of Law about the critical distinctions between adolescence, emerging adulthood, and full adulthood, and why legal and youth-serving systems must adapt to sup...

In this episode of "Youth Justice Transformation in Action,” our Executive Director, John Tuell, speaks with Julie Austin, Director of Youth and Family Program, and Staci Denney, Director of Case Management, for the Greene County Juvenile Office in the 31st Judicial District of Missouri. Through their conversation, Julie and Staci delve into the critical topic of fostering success within yout...

The role of the manager is critical to successful youth justice transformation efforts. In this podcast,  Robert Gant and Aaron Parker, two program managers from King County, Washington, discuss the steps they took to effectively reform the youth justice system during a tumultuous period of transition. From COVID to leadership transitions to building a new facility amidst community pressure to eli...

In this episode, RFK National Resource Center’s Executive Director, John Tuell, speaks with Judge Thomas P. Sotelo, Chief Judge of Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court. Through their conversation, Judge Sotelo shares his perspective on judicial leadership, hope and redemption, the importance of transparency, and embracing research and best practices to improve youth outcom...

In this episode, RFK National Resource Center’s Executive Director, John Tuell, speaks with Bev Hoagland, Chief Probation Officer for the District #3J in Lancaster County, Nebraska. Through their interview, Bev highlights the key elements that led to improved system performance and youth outcomes in Lancaster County. John and Bev discuss the importance of incorporating brain science research in tr...

Diversion is a key tool for supporting youth outside of the formal justice system.  When done well, it supports public safety and youth accountability while involving victims and stakeholders in the decision-making process. In this episode, Robert (Bob) Bermingham delivers his first-hand account on how Fairfax County, Virginia implemented and sustained successful diversion practices and offers tak...

Implementation Science supports successful youth justice system transformation.  When implementation is done well, it influences positive change by providing a way to manage reforms through creating readiness and embedding evidence-based practices into daily activities.  In this episode, Dr. Robin Jenkins teaches us how to reframe our existing leadership skills and practices to apply them in a mor...

Traumatic event exposure impacts the way that the brain processes information and disrupts the body's regulation system.  For youth, this can mean increased contact with the juvenile justice system.  In this episode, Dr. Keith Cruise discusses different traumatic event exposures and how prevalent these occurrences are for youth in the justice system.  You will hear the importance of implement...

In this bonus episode of One Youth, Dual Systems , Jessica Heldman and Judge Johnson discuss why dual status youth are at greater risk for sexual exploitation, ways to collaborate with system partners, creative solutions to prevent youth from entering deep end services, and ideas for how to improve our systems with impassioned advocates. To learn more about the National Resource Center for the Tra...

Who are dual status youth and why do they experience the poorest outcomes among system involved youth? How can we work together to improve results for these youth? To answer these questions, we interview the Honorable Kristen Johnson, Judge from Hancock County (OH) Probate and Juvenile Court, and Jessica Heldman, Fellmeth-Peterson Professor in Child Rights at University of San Diego School of Law,...

Assessments provide valuable information for multiple decision points in the youth justice system. In this bonus episode of Youth Justice Transformation in Action, our Executive Director & host John Tuell and Dr. Gina Vincent discuss critical drivers for successful implementation, including the importance of developing policies and procedures, collaborating with stakeholders and building a str...

What is a juvenile risk assessment and a risk-need-responsivity approach? What are the benefits of using them? How can they assist us in decision making? When is the best time to assess a youth? And how can we as youth justice stakeholders, drive successful implementation? To answer these questions, host John Tuell interviews Dr. Gina Vincent, Associate Professor and Co-Director of the Law and Psy...

In this episode, RFK National Resource Center’s Executive Director, John Tuell, speaks with Adolphus Graves, Court Administrator of the Cobb County Juvenile Court. Through their interview, Adolphus shares his perspective on how to successfully lead a youth justice system transformation and gives tips on staying motivated through the change process. John and Adolphus also discuss leading change, bu...