Recognizing National Youth Justice Action Month

The National Governors Association is celebrating National Youth Justice Action Month this October. During this period, we recognize the actions taken by states to support system-involved youth. This includes Governors' Offices from across the country that have championed and adopted innovative initiatives to help prevent, involve, and promote successful outcomes for youth in the juvenile justice system. Actions include improving access to behavioral health services, providing support for those at risk of gun violence, and implementing overall system reform. Specific state examples include:

In Idaho, Governor Brad Little issued executive orders in 2020 and 2024, establishing the Idaho Behavioral Health Council. The council, which involves all three branches of government, created a statewide strategic plan that included recommendations for establishing Youth Assessment Centers and Youth Behavioral Health Community Crisis Centers (YBHCCCs). Youth Assessment Centers aim to prevent and divert youth from the juvenile justice and child welfare systems using validated screening tools to determine a youth's individual needs and identify community-based services and supports. YBHCCCs can be utilized by youth experiencing a behavioral health crisis. They can help provide critically needed services to a youth in crisis while also diverting youth from unnecessary hospitalization, reducing the need for incarceration, preventing the escalation of conflict and violence, and providing access to professionals while establishing linkages to care in the community.

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly announced in 2024 that Kansas would be the first state in the nation to embrace the Council of State Government's Stepping Up Initiative in a state's juvenile justice system, which aims to identify youth who need behavioral health support to prevent and avoid incarceration. Governor Kelly saw firsthand the importance of providing access to mental health resources to youth when she worked in a minimum-security facility for male youth.

In Maryland, Governor Wes Moore and the state's Department of Juvenile Services created the Thrive Academy, a program for youth who are at the highest risk of becoming victims or perpetrators of gun violence. The program started in Baltimore City and Baltimore County in September 2023 and expanded to Anne Arundel and Prince George's counties in January 2024. These four jurisdictions were targeted because they represented 85% of the gun violence against young people in 2023. The data-informed youth development and violence intervention program utilizes a three-pronged approach, including case management services, credible messengers, and a personalized suitcase of supports.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer established the Task Force on Juvenile Justice Reform in 2021. In 2022, the Governor announced the task force's recommendations, resulting in a package of legislation meant to transform the state's youth justice system. Some of these measures, which include implementing risk and mental health screening tools, reducing fines and fees, and increasing access to legal representation for juvenile defendants, were signed into law in 2023.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced the creation of the Ohio Juvenile Justice Working Group in November 2023 and tasked the workgroup with conducting a holistic review of the state's juvenile justice system. The workgroup delivered its report to Governor DeWine in September 2024, where he announced the group's transformational recommendations that will change and improve the system of care for state and local facilities, ultimately improving the outcomes for Ohio's youth. The state has already begun adopting many of the recommendations, including the convening of state agencies to develop a cross-agency, coordinated master plan to divert youth from engaging in criminal behavior and reduce youth violence. Governor DeWine has also directed the Department of Youth Services to develop best practices to prevent gang activity, expand reentry supports for youth returning to their communities, develop a credible messenger program, and expand programming to support staff wellness.

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster recently broke ground for a new mental health facility for youth in the juvenile justice system. The 24-bed facility will primarily treat youth who are justice-involved and is designed to improve outcomes for youth by addressing their mental health needs and promoting law-abiding behaviors. The project represents collaboration across numerous departments, including Juvenile Services, Health and Human Services, Mental Health, Children's Advocacy, and the state legislature.

To learn more about National Youth Justice Action Month, visit the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's website. For more information on how Governors can support youth in the juvenile justice system, contact Erin Daneker at [email protected].