Emerging Leaders Committee

CJJ’s Emerging Leaders Committee (ELC)

Applications for CJJ's 2024 Emerging Leaders Cohort is opening! Please click here to be redirected to a digital application. Cover Letters, resumes, or other application-related documents can be emailed to moore@juvjustice.org. Applications and other materials will be closed on Tuesday, October 24th, 2023 at 11:59 PM EST (CST/MST/PST) and will not be accepted.

The Emerging Leaders Committee (ELC) is a partnership between CJJ and young people in the field of youth justice, many of whom bring lived expertise to their work. This group consists of young people ages 16 to 27 years old from across the country. ELC Members may serve on their State Advisory Group, have previous or current youth justice involvement, and/or are interested in youth justice reform. Each member serves for one calendar year. CJJ supports the Emerging Leaders Committee to ensure that youth perspectives are represented in all aspects and functions of CJJ’s work, as well as CJJ’s communications with state and federal policymakers.

Emerging Leaders Committee members help to shape the overall program and policy agenda for CJJ and perform several other important duties, including: 

• Organizing the Youth Summit, a virtual and in-person gathering that allows young people to come together to explore how they can collaborate and lead in juvenile justice reform;  
• Coordinating, reviewing, and selecting the recipient of the annual CJJ Spirit of Youth Award;
• Developing and implementing educational training programs for youth and adult SAG members;
• Convening committee meetings and networking events for youth members at CJJ conferences; and
• Orienting new youth members to the work of the SAGs and CJJ, through the publication of resources and ongoing information sharing.

Emerging Leaders Committee Members develop leadership and advocacy skills and learn about the youth justice system.                                                                                                                                                          ELC Members 2023:

The Emerging Leaders Committee (ELC) is a partnership between CJJ and young people in the field of youth justice, many of whom bring lived expertise to their work. This group consists of young people ages 16 to 27 years old from across the country. ELC Members may serve on their State Advisory Group, have previous or current youth justice involvement, and/or are interested in youth justice reform. Each member serves for one calendar year. CJJ supports the Emerging Leaders Committee to ensure that youth perspectives are represented in all aspects and functions of CJJ’s work, as well as CJJ’s communications with state and federal policymakers.

Highlights from the 2023 Youth Summit:

Each year, CJJ's Youth Summit brings together young people from across the country who are interested in youth justice reform. The Summit aims to cultivate and empower the next generation of leaders by providing them with the tools they need to leverage their lived experience. Participants learn the basics of youth justice and have the opportunity to delve into more detail about key topics in the field of youth justice. The 2023 Youth Summit, “"Empowering, Enriching, and Inspiring Youth: Making Policy Personal,” was hosted in person and virtually by the ELC and explored issues such as leadership & advocacy, self-care, youth justice, sentencing reform, mentoring & re-entry. 

Highlights from 2023:

In 2023 the ELC members had several opportunities to build on policy recommendations made at the federal level during YJAM 2022. In 2022, the ELC and youth from the National Juvenile Justice Network met with the Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Administrator Elizabeth Ryan, her youth justice team, and other OJJDP staff, to share policy recommendations to change youth justice on a national level. 

This year, ELC members and NJJN youth co-presented the webinar “Planning YJAM 2023: Bringing Youth Visions of Justice to State & Local Policymakers,” where youth members shared their thoughts, insight, and experiences from the policy round table. 

ELC members have been able to assist in the development of a reentry guide that will be used to help youth justice youth advisory groups take action and reform current re-entry processes. 

ELC members have also had the opportunity to assist in the development of a reentry app that assists youth across the country to access resources.