Juvenile Justice Youth Advisory Board
As part of its work under a federal OJJDP grant, OJD created a Juvenile Justice Youth Advisory Board to provide it with a critical perspective on its delinquency system improvement efforts.
The board was comprised of 6 young individuals committed to improving Oregon's system for future youth. They met monthly in 2024 to discuss their experiences and created a list of five recommendations.
- Develop a Juvenile Justice Handbook for Justice-Involved Youth
- Provide Additional Training on Youth & Family Engagement
- Install Courthouse Kiosk/Information Centers in Local Courts
- Extend Court Hours to Accommodate Youth & Families
- Launch Peer Mentor/Credible Messenger Pilot Program
The youth board chose to focus on the first recommendation, and spent 2025 meetings creating a Juvenile Justice Handbook, which is in the final editing stages and should be complete by Summer 2026.
Other JJAB Work:
2024 - Board members joined a youth panel at the Juvenile Justice Judge’s Conference to share their perspective on how courts can improve.
2025 - Board members reviewed changes to the Detention Guidelines authored by Youth Development Oregon.