2026 Youth Justice in Action Conference
Location:
Pittsburgh, PA
Date:
October 13 – 15, 2026
Each year, the Coalition for Juvenile Justice (CJJ) hosts a national conference that brings together juvenile justice practitioners, advocates, policymakers, and system stakeholders to discuss critical issues, share knowledge, and drive positive change within the juvenile justice system.
Last year’s event saw more than 350 juvenile justice professionals and advocates from across the U.S. and its territories converge to exchange ideas and solutions. This year, we invite you to join us for our 2026 Youth Justice in Action Conference.
This impactful convening will coincide with Youth Justice Action Month (YJAM)—a national movement dedicated to raising awareness about the needs of young people impacted by the justice system and taking action in local communities nationwide.
Each October, YJAM brings together advocates, policymakers, practitioners, and—most importantly—youth, to advance a vision that all children, youth, and families have opportunities to live safe, fulfilling lives in their communities. For years, CJJ has proudly played a leading role in organizing and participating in YJAM initiatives. From policy briefings and public education campaigns to storytelling projects led by directly impacted young people, we strive to ensure that youth voices are at the forefront.
In pursuit of CJJ’s mission to convene national, state, and local partners to educate on and advocate for youth-serving systems to be fair, effective, and rooted in community. This October we want to take bold steps towards opportunities that are youth centered and community driven. This year’s conference will focus on activating practitioners and systems leaders to take concrete steps that support reducing racial and ethnic disparities in the youth legal system and uplifting young leaders, particularly those who have been historically marginalized. Our agenda will feature a community-led service project, dynamic learning workshops, and opportunities for national dialogue and innovation.
Conference Focus
What tools, narratives, and strategies are helping states, territories, native nations, and communities continue to advance racial and ethnic disparities reduction efforts, strengthen community trust, and build support for system improvements?
What strategies and policies are most effective in expanding equitable access to opportunities that help youth thrive, and how can these approaches be sustained and scaled across communities?
How can cross-sector collaboration among youth-serving systems, community organizations, families, native nations, and youth themselves strengthen pathways to opportunity and improve long-term outcomes?
What practices help ensure that youth voice remains central to decision-making, implementation, and evaluation, while building trust and shared accountability among community partners?
What strategies can states, territories, native nations, and communities implement to strengthen compliance with the JJDPA while promoting youth-centered, community-based approaches?
Conference Agenda (draft)
Registration
Invoicing Option: If your organization is a state agency and requires an invoice, please contact Shalee at [email protected] for assistance. We no longer provide a registration code. In preparation, please send over the list of names and email addresses of each person you wish to register (specify if they are a SAG member or a youth) and the designated person or organization to bill the invoice to.
Hotel Reservations
Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown
600 Commonwealth Pl
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222
Call for Workshop Proposals
Selection Criteria
Workshops should be designed to last 65 minutes. The selection of proposals will take into consideration the following:
- Overall relevance to conference theme, ‘Together Toward Opportunity: Youth Centered. Community Driven.’
- Contribution to the conference to ensure a variety of topics/viewpoints/approaches are represented
- Whether the presentation topic can be replicated through other state and/or local efforts
- To what extent does the workshop involve active discussion and interactions with the participants
- Whether the workshop introduces new/fresh content to the CJJ audience
- Meaningful partnership/engagement with young people
- Efforts to highlight State Advisory Group programs and engagement strategies
If selected, workshop presenters will be responsible for funding their own travel and lodging. CJJ does not pay presenters for their attendance. Selected presenters will have their registration fee waived for up to three presenters per workshop group.
Sponsors and Exhibitors Opportunities
CJJ invites you to consider sponsoring our 2026 Youth Justice in Action Conference. Your sponsorship is an easy and affordable way to promote your program, publication, or institution to a targeted professional audience while supporting CJJ’s continued efforts towards juvenile justice reform and leadership development. Sponsorship dollars help support a broad range of necessary functions, including materials production, speaker and workshop support, youth engagement, and other general functions. Attendees come from across the country, including the U.S. territories, and include local and state level government employees, elected officials, researchers, law enforcement and probation officers, community organizers, social workers, youth advocates, non-profit and national foundation staff, etc. Many are also active on their Governor-mandated State Advisory Groups (SAGs), helping to guide policymaking and distribute federal funding at the state and local levels.
This year, CJJ has a limited number of exhibitor spaces available. Exhibiting at CJJ’s Youth Justice in Action Conference allows your organization an even greater opportunity to reach CJJ’s members and partners. The Exhibit Hall is located in a prime location, ideally situated alongside the conference registration areas and outside of the general session and breakout rooms.
Youth Scholarship Campaign
Emerging Leaders Committee (ELC) Youth Scholarship Application
Portal Opens July 13th
The Andrew Smith Award
Nominations Open through July 27
This award is presented by CJJ to a Racial and Ethnic Disparities Coordinator who has made outstanding contributions to the elimination of Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the juvenile justice system. The award is named to honor Andrew Smith, an incredible voice for youth and a pivotal agent of change. Mr. Smith served as New Hampshire’s Racial and Ethnic Disparities Coordinator and was responsible for the creation of the Mirror Project, an effort to bring together law enforcement and youth. He served on CJJ’s Executive Board as the Ethnic and Cultural Diversity Chair.
Andrew Smith was a passionate youth justice advocate, respected community leader, and a tireless champion for racial and ethnic equity in the juvenile justice system. He served as New Hampshire’s Racial and Ethnic Disparities (R/ED) Coordinator and as Chair of the Coalition for Juvenile Justice’s (CJJ) Ethnic and Cultural Diversity Committee.
Through his leadership, Andrew made a lasting impact on the community of New Hampshire, working closely with youth, families, system leaders, and grassroots organizations to confront systemic disparities and promote meaningful reform. He believed deeply in community-led solutions, youth empowerment, and the need to bring people together across lines of difference to create real, lasting change.
Andrew’s visionary work included the creation of The Mirror Project, a transformative, youth-led initiative that fostered dialogue and understanding between young people and law enforcement. Rooted in his belief in equity through empathy, this project remains a powerful example of how storytelling and connection can drive system change.
Andrew’s legacy lives on, both in New Hampshire and across the country. Each year, CJJ proudly presents the Andrew Smith Award to a Racial and Ethnic Disparities (R/ED) Coordinator who exemplifies the same courage, compassion, and commitment to justice that Andrew brought to all he did.
The winner of the 2026 Andrew Smith Award will be honored at CJJ’s 2026 Youth Justice in Action Conference in Pittsburgh, PA.