Charleston County is pleased to announce that four local leaders have been selected for a national initiative on juvenile justice. Across the country, five counties were chosen for the National Association of Counties (NACo) County Juvenile Justice Innovation Network (CJJIN). The initiative recognizes the important role counties play in coordinating a continuum of care to address the needs of youth, with a focus on youth involved in the juvenile justice system.
Siannie Jacobs, Founder and Executive Director of SJ Restorative Consulting LLC; Dennis Muhammad, Director, Charleston Alternatives to Detention; Keith Smalls, Executive Director, My Community’s Keeper Mentor Group; and Charleston County Sheriff’s Office will participate in a nine-month peer learning experience, including discussions with national and local subject matter experts, visits to successful programs in peer communities, and sessions on program and policy changes that improve youth outcomes.
The selection of Charleston County to this program will benefit youth-serving systems through the engagement of a recognized council to cultivate information sharing, expedite need requests, and direct rapid solutions.
CJJIN is designed to leverage the unique position of counties, which operate at the intersection of youth serving systems such as juvenile justice, education, child welfare and other human service systems. Participating counties will work with cross-system teams to examine the continuum of care spanning youth service systems, establish shared goals to improve youth outcomes, and develop action plans responsive to local needs.
The culminating action plan will be the result of a collaboration between local resources, stakeholders and agencies.
Goals for the project include developing a Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council for Charleston County, establishing a collaborative Data Warehouse containing key factors for needs assessment and system efficiency, produce understanding of racial ethnic inequities, and support greater access to services and opportunities through council-supported progress reports.
To view all counties selected to participate in CJJIN and learn more about the initiative, click here.
