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Models for Change
The Coalition for Juvenile Justice (CJJ) proudly serves as the host of the Annual National Working Conference for Models for Change, in partnership with the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Each year, nearly 300 state leaders and national resource experts in juvenile justice reform convene for the conference.
In 2008, CJJ was very pleased to facilitate the inaugural “Champions for Change” Awards, celebrating the accomplishments of four extraordinary individuals dedicated to the goals of Models for Change, who were nominated by their colleagues in recognition of their work to create effective approaches to improving the lives of young people, while inspiring us all with their determination to succeed.
Models for Change is the MacArthur foundation’s long-term, $100 million investment in creating more fair, rational, effective and developmentally appropriate approaches to juvenile justice. The foundation began making grants in the juvenile justice field in 1996, following years of harsh legislation that threatened the foundations of juvenile justice in this country–laws restricting juvenile court judges’ traditional discretion to deal with individuals on the basis of their needs, curtailing their jurisdiction, doing away with confidentiality protections, introducing frankly punitive new sentencing approaches, and requiring the transfer of more and more youth to the adult criminal system.
CJJ – MacArthur Foundation Partnership: MacArthur has generously provided CJJ with grants for several projects, including the development, publication and dissemination of “Childhood on Trial, the Failure of Trying and Sentencing Youth in Adult Court” (2003), and providing support for CJJ to serve as the principal partner and fiscal sponsor of the National Juvenile Justice Network (NJJN) since 2005.
In addition to Models for Change activities, the MacArthur Foundation currently provides grant support to CJJ to broadly educate about the need to strengthen and improve the federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) in its pending reauthorization, including significant contributions to CJJ’s annual national conference, and also to CJJ’s role as a lead convener and co-chair of the “Act-4-Juvenile Justice” initiative.
Models for Change launched: In 2004, the national juvenile justice systems reform initiative, Models for Change, was launched to harness and direct local reform work into a larger, coordinated effort to share replicable models of reform and catalyze change across the nation. Models for Change is now a 16-state national initiative that advances juvenile justice system reforms that effectively hold young people accountable for their actions, provide for their rehabilitation, protect them from harm, increase their life chances, and manage the risk they pose. The initiative is rooted in an evidence-based approach to juvenile justice reform, and promotes a variety of systems reform models that are grounded in the core principles of fundamental fairness; developmental differences between youth and adults; individual strengths and needs; youth potential; responsibility; and safety.
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