Program areas at Justice and Joy National Collaboration
Reducing risk for girls in the juvenile Justice system training and technical assistance, funded by the u.s. department of Justice's (doj's) office of juvenile Justice and delinquency prevention, provides training and technical assistance to project sites as they implement strategies to support girls and risk for girls that are in the juvenile Justice system. Continued on schedule o advancing a continuum of care: engagement, supports, and servicesaccess provides technical assistance and learning opportunities to support decision-makers in better understanding what drives cis and trans girls and gender-expansive young people into the system while providing advocates with information and support. Additionally, the work focuses on identifying and creating the continuum of services and support needed in the community to effectively address the needs of cis and trans girls, young women, gender-expansive young people, and their families.
In solidarity in response to the covid-19 pandemic and resulting economic crisis, as well as the uprisings ignited by ongoing police brutality and systemic racism in the united states, National Crittenton and the National collaborative of young women's initiatives (National ywi) organized 14 virtual, regional, and tribal in solidarity conversations.to expand the voices heard by decision-makers tasked with addressing these critical issues, these conversations served as a safe space for cis and trans girls, young women, and gender-expansive young people of color to engage in conversations across the country and help us better understand the impacts on their lives, their families, and communities.
Educationnational Crittenton worked with Crittenton agencies, survivors of violence and neglect. and partner organizations to provide education, resources, and information to decision makers, influencers, and funders to increase their understanding of the needs and potential of girls and young women who are survivors of abuse and violence, with a specific focus on girls of color. This included communicating the need for the gender and culturally responsive, trauma informed, strength-based services they need to heal and thrive. Continued on schedule onjrpe (new jersey's rape prevention and education initiative)the new jersey department of children and families, division on women (njdcf-dow), recognize that the prevalence of sexual violence is a health epidemic which transcends race, age, gender, sex, religion, and socio-economic status. As such, the state has committed funds to specifically address the statewide prevention of sexual violence at both the individual/relational and community levels of the socio-ecological model. National Crittenton was chosen to implement an evidence based/informed curriculum and a community action plan, which seeks to decrease risk and increase protective factors at the community level.girls @ the margin National alliancewith over 11 years of National organizing since its inception in 2010, g@tm continues today to support relationship building and collective action among partners focused on eradicating the oppressions experienced by cis and trans girls, and gender-expansive young people. Founded by National Crittenton and rights4girls, and co-steered by these organizations in partnership with the National women's law center, georgetown center on poverty and inequality, and girls inc., the alliance has entered a new phase of re-imagining an alliance that will be of the most benefit to girls and gender-expansive young people. This process has included discontinuing the steering committee to provide optimal flexibility during the collaborative revision process. G@tm continues to engage partners working in local, state, and National communities on monthly calls and through regular messaging and communication and readily adapts to meet the needs of community partners. G@tm also provides resources, support, and connection to advocates, service providers, and others working to center the wellbeing of girls and gender-expansive youth. Impact (invincible mamas pushing action & change together)national Crittenton (Crittenton) received support from the annie e. casey foundation (aecf) to directly engage young adult parents to help identity and advance advocacy for programs and policies that support their needs and potential. Core to the project was working with a young parent advisory committee (ypac) of current and former young parents as advisors and active members of the project team. The goals of the project are: to determine key areas of policy and program needs; to identify gaps in current young parent led advocacy efforts and determine interest/need for more young parent lead advocacy; and to recommend a strategy to engage young parents in a National organizing and mobilization effort. Today, ypac is known as impact and is powered by a group of young mamas of color from California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Montana, new mexico, north carolina, new york, and Oregon, including three tribal nations. The network is committed to identifying and eradicating the biased policies and broken systems that hinder their ability to support their children and achieve economic security.
The initiative to end girls' incarceration National Crittenton is co-chairing the National advisory committee for the initiative to end girls' incarceration, at vera institute for Justice. The initiative is working to zero out the country's confinement of girls within 10 years by partnering with jurisdictions to build new reforms and programs that will better support the safety and well-being of girls and gender-expansive youth in their communities, address the root causes of their incarceration, and permanently close the doors to girls' juvenile detention and placement facilities.