Citizens for Juvenile Justice

ABOUT CFJJ: Founded in 1994, CfJJ is the leading voice in Massachusetts for systemic reform of youth justice systems. We are an independent research and policy organization that works to change the way the entire system operates – juvenile justice and the other child serving systems like schools and the child welfare system that often drive vulnerable and struggling youth in need of services and support into punitive and carceral systems. Our mission is advocating for statewide systemic reform that achieves equitable youth justice and our core value is that young people and overall public safety are best served by fair and effective systems that recognize the ways children and young people are different from adults and that focus primarily on their healthy development and rehabilitation. Our work involves advocacy at the state and municipal level that is driven by community engagement and coalition building, informed by our research and data analysis and enhanced by our public education efforts on key juvenile justice and criminal justice, child welfare and education issues.

CfJJ’s tight knit, energetic and collaborative staff consists of its Executive Director (ED), Deputy Director, Development Director and four program staff. Our office is in downtown Boston, readily accessible to public transportation.

Our advocacy includes information gathering and policy analysis; preparation of reports and fact sheets; outreach to and work with policy-makers, stakeholders in the juvenile system, other system constituents, advocates, community groups and academics; and coalition-building. We use multiple communication strategies to educate the public and inform decision-makers, including one-on-one meetings, presentations, and conferences; traditional and social media; email and our website. We are respected for being knowledgeable, resourceful and fair-minded policy advocates.