Green Hill School youth participants in the Emerging Leaders Committee (ELC) were recently interviewed by a White House representative on policy recommendations for President Biden on juvenile justice and reentry issues.
The ELC is a partnership between the Coalition of Juvenile Justice (CJJ) and young people who have been justice-involved or are in the justice field. Members help shape the overall program and policy agenda for the CJJ. In 2019, Green Hill School youth on the ELC actively participated in getting legislation passed that rolled back laws requiring juveniles charged with certain crimes to be tried in adult court.
Alongside young people from the National Juvenile Justice Network (NJJN), Green Hill’s ELC youth provided feedback to the White House (via Zoom) on reducing involvement in the justice system, improving rehabilitation and reentry, and addressing disparities.
“I enjoyed working collaboratively with CJJ and NJJN to uproot the deep injustices plaguing the juvenile justice system we are in today,” said youth participant Edgar. “I look forward to possibly getting another opportunity to get direct feedback from the White House as to our efforts and recommendations.”
This was an exciting opportunity for DCYF’s young people to advocate for themselves and current and future generations. We look forward to seeing how their feedback impacts future policy in the United States.