"We are excited about the launch of the next phase of our Collaborating for Change project, and the chance to work with these communities to help ensure that young people are not criminalized for experiencing homelessness, and that if they do come into contact with the justice system, that they are able to exit to safe, stable, and secure housing," said CJJ's Executive Director, Naomi Smoot.
Each year,
1 in 30 young people ages 13 - 17 experience homelessness. A separate study found that nearly half of young adults who experienced homelessness reported that they had also spent time in a jail, prison, or detention facility.
As part of the project, CJJ, NLC, NN4Y and expert advisors from across the country developed the
Principles for Change, a series of guiding principles to help communities improve responses for youth with unstable housing.
The newest phase of Collaborating for Change will include direct technical assistance to help communities better understand of how youth homelessness and juvenile justice intersect, assess and understand how their policies may be criminalizing young people experiencing homelessness, and identify ways to provide more diversion opportunities and related supports.
To learn more about Collaboration for Change and how to address the intersection between youth homeless and juvenile justice involvemnet, visit
juvjustice.org/homelessness
.