Five Counties Selected for National Juvenile Justice Innovation Network

National Association of Counties program will address youth justice  

WASHINGTON – The National Association of Counties (NACo) is pleased to announce the launch of its inaugural County Juvenile Justice Innovation Network (CJJIN) cohort, supported by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The cohort includes five county teams committed to working collaboratively to achieve program and policy change that improves youth outcomes. 

Participating counties are: 

• Boone County, Mo. 
• Charleston County, S.C. 
• Cumberland County, N.C. 
• Lancaster County, Neb. 
• Walla Walla County, Wash. 

Each participating county designated four local leaders who will form a team to advance the objectives of their respective communities. The teams are made up of cross-functional representatives from county government, the juvenile justice system, the child welfare system, community service agencies and community coalitions. 

Over nine months, each team will delve into evidence-based strategies and practices, receive insights from national and local subject matter experts, engage in an in-person peer learning opportunity, and formulate a strategic action plan. The overarching objective is to enhance each county's capacity to address the needs of youth involved in the local juvenile justice system. Those enhancements are particularly important given 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. 

“The County Juvenile Justice Innovation Network will identify and advance solutions that will result in better outcomes for young people and ultimately, entire communities,” said NACo President Mary Jo McGuire. “NACo congratulates the counties in this inaugural cohort, and we look forward to amplifying potential solutions for counties nationwide.” 

To view the County Juvenile Justice Innovation Network cohort members and learn more about the initiative, click here.