About
The PCJJ Legislative Committee is hosting an Advancing Priorities presentation series featuring presenters invited to provide education on active policy efforts aligned with Council priorities. The Advancing Priorities Series seeks to enhance shared understanding of priority issues, provide educational policy-specific convening spaces, and deepen relationships with partners before the 2026 session. Meetings are open to the public and the PCJJ welcomes participation from its system and community partners.
Upcoming
Topic: Diversion
Featured Presenter: Washington State Minority & Justice Commission Youth Justice Committee
Expanding access to diversion is among the WA-PCJJ's top priorities. Join us for a presentation by the Minority and Justice Commission's Youth Justice Committee on their recently published Statewide Youth Diversion Report. As the state begins to implement improvements to diversion data collection, this timely report delivers a centralized resource for understanding the state of diversion programing in Washington State and identifying opportunities for equitable expansion.
Diversion was among the top priorities that the Partnership Council identified in its most recent Biennial Report to the Governor and Legislature. The Council recommended policy changes to expand availability of and access to diversion. Correspondingly, the Council also recently supported successful diversion legislation (2025 HB 1391).
Submit questions in advance. There will also be time for live Q&A and discussion following the presentation.
Meeting Time & Link: Jun. 16, 2025 at 2-3 p.m.
Microsoft Teams
Join the meeting now
Meeting ID: 290 440 953 418 1
Passcode: Ds6yW7Ds
Presentations are still being scheduled for the remainder of 2025. Check this page or contact Office of Juvenile Justice staff to be notified of updates.
Priority Topics
The Legislative Committee is pursuing and scheduling presenters on the following topics:
Juvenile Sentencing Reform
Sentencing alternatives were a top priority identified by the Partnership Council in its most recent Biennial Report to the Governor and Legislature. The Partnership Council recommended expanding eligibility for the Chemical Dependency/Mental Health and Special Sex Offender Disposition Alternatives, expanding funding for the Suspended Disposition Alternative, and re-evaluating and modernizing the juvenile sentencing structure. The Partnership Council also followed and submitted testimony on 2025 SB 5296, which would have expanded access to disposition alternatives and created local and community-based alternatives to Juvenile Rehabilitation commitment for certain youth. SB 5296 did not pass during the 2025 legislative session.
An Advocate’s Guide to Using the Arrest Dashboard and Court Dashboard
The Partnership Council and Office of Juvenile Justice partner with the Washington State Center for Court Research to maintain interactive data dashboards that compare juvenile justice system data across jurisdictions, demographic groups, and over time. The dashboards include data on arrests, referrals, cases, adjudications, and formal diversions; and will be expanded to include detention admission and victim profile data in late 2025. In its most recent Action Plan, the Partnership Council’s Racial and Ethnic Disparities Committee committed to providing dashboard user trainings to community-based organizations, empowering them to use data to raise awareness and advocate for youth through data-informed storytelling.
Best Practices for Secure Facility Settings
Eliminating the use of large institutional facilities as the setting for treatment and rehabilitation for youth in Juvenile Rehabilitation was among the top priorities that the Partnership Council identified in its most recent Biennial Report to the Governor and Legislature. The Partnership Council recommended creating a collaborative plan to transition to smaller and more therapeutic facilities. Advancing this effort supports the Partnership Council’s commitment to amplifying the priorities of our youth and young adult partners in JR.
Restorative Justice in School Discipline
In its most recent Biennial Report to the Governor and Legislature, the Partnership Council recommended several actions to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline while strengthening the career-to-cradle pathway. Among the Council’s recommendations were elimination of exclusionary school discipline (such as suspension and expulsion) and a redesign of disciplinary guidelines. Establishing and expanding the use of restorative justice practices in school discipline is a priority shared by the Council and many of its youth and community partners.
Protection of Juvenile Records
At the direction of the Washington State Legislature, the Partnership Council recently published a report on the Treatment & Protection of Juvenile Records. The Council is committed to advancing the recommendations in this report. This effort is closely connected to core principles and beliefs of the Partnership Council. Protecting juvenile records so that youth have fair and full access to move forward and thrive is critical to upholding these principles.
Victims’ Compensation and Alternatives to Juvenile Court-Ordered Restitution
At the direction of the Washington State Legislature, the Partnership Council recently published a report with recommendations to establish a State-Funded Community Compensation Program that could replace juvenile court-ordered restitution as a more equitable and complete mechanism for victims’ compensation. The Partnership Council is committed to advancing support and restoration for victims. The Council believes that expanded victims’ compensation could mitigate inequities by addressing the financial cost of victimization so that the parties on either side of an act of harm can focus on more meaningful accountability and healing.
The Legislative Committee invites suggestions for additional topics and presenters. Please contact Office of Juvenile Justice staff with ideas for the Committee to consider.