Juvenile justice systems across the U.S. are grappling with an unprecedented staffing crisis, putting the welfare of both employees and youth in jeopardy. In a recent survey of over 200 juvenile justice agencies from 37 states and 190 counties, the situation has been revealed as more dire than ever. Co-authored by CSG Justice Center Director Megan Quattlebaum, along with leaders from the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University, University of Cincinnati Corrections Institute, Council of Juvenile Justice Administrators, and American Probation and Parole Association, this eye-opening guest opinion piece dives into the impacts of the staffing crisis to reimagine the juvenile justice workforce.

In our latest fact sheet, “Promising Practices for Juvenile Justice Staff Recruitment and Hiring,” we explore approaches to enhance youth outcomes through innovative hiring and workforce strategies. We partnered with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy, and University of Cincinnati Corrections Institute to explore this important topic. This is part of our larger Systems in Crisis project, which addresses the juvenile justice staffing crisis. 

Indiana’s legal community is raising alarms about a statewide shortage of attorneys that has already led to barren courtrooms leaving hundreds of Hoosiers unrepresented. Indiana has about 2.3 lawyers per 1,000 residents—below the nationwide average of four lawyers. That puts the state in the bottom 10 nationally for available counsel. A 2020 report by the American Bar Association found that 40 of the state’s 92 counties had fewer than one lawyer per 1,000 residents. 

This webinar will examine strategies for equipping staff with research-driven tools, practices, and techniques to effectively work with higher-risk youth in the juvenile justice system, especially those who engage in violent behavior.

This webinar will highlight key messages from the brief "Systems in Crisis: Revamping the Juvenile Justice Workforce and Core Strategies for Improving Public Safety and Youth Outcomes," and accompanying fact sheets that detail shorter-term hiring and retention best practices that can help jurisdictions rethink their juvenile justice workforce. The webinar will also call on policymakers and juvenile justice system leaders nationwide to wrestle with three critical questions that sit at the heart of ongoing staffing instability. Join us on November 13, 2023, from 1:00–2:00 p.m. ET to learn more.

The webinar will shed light on how Homeless Outreach Teams are making a positive impact in Wichita, Kansas, and offer insights into how this model can be applied in other communities to divert crisis response from emergency departments to community-based services.

Interested in learning more about the work of the CSG Justice Center? Check out our other newsletters and subscribe to gain access to resources and up-to-date information.