Evaluating the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative in New Jersey

As an undergraduate student at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy, I was awarded a grant to conduct community-based research during the summer of 2019. This research experience was part of a larger program called the Service Opportunities in Leadership Program, one of several experiences sponsored by the Hart Leadership Program. The program is a 12-month leadership opportunity for Duke undergraduates to combine academic study, research service learning, mentoring, and leadership training. I chose to pursue a community-based research project about the juvenile justice system in New Jersey for several reasons. The topic of juvenile justice combines two of my passions: criminal justice reform and the rights of children. It is also a particularly compelling issue in New Jersey, as New Jersey is currently the only site that operates the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI), a concept created by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, at a statewide level. The designation as the only statewide model site for the initiative is fairly new, as the last few counties joined the New Jersey program in 2018. The objectives and outcomes of JDAI sparked my interest, and therefore, I decided to pursue a project that would examine the current status of the juvenile justice system in New Jersey.

Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ), a non-profit based in Newark, New Jersey, graciously agreed to work with me on this project. ACNJ s Vice President, Mary Coogan, served as my supervisor. The mission statement of ACNJ is “To identify children s needs through research, policy and legal analysis, to raise awareness of those needs through strategic communications, and to work with elected officials and other decision-makers to enact effective responses.” It is my sincere hope that this report identifies many of the needs of youth involved in the juvenile justice system and raises awareness of those needs.

My guiding research questions for this project were: What are the current successes of juvenile justice system reform in the state of New Jersey? What are the persisting challenges in need of future development? How do determining factors for youth vary by locality, and how do the varying attitudes and approaches of different localities impact the juveniles they serve?

The findings of this report are broad in scope, and I do not attempt to answer any specific questions regarding the successes and challenges of individual counties or programs. Rather, this is an overview of the current state of the juvenile justice system in New Jersey. Based on a statewide survey and individual interviews, potential improvements are evident. This report intends to contribute to the wider conversation on juvenile justice reform, both in the state of New Jersey and more broadly in the United States.