The State of Nevada applied for and received technical assistance through the Justice Center of the Council of State Governments. Receipt of the award triggered a year-long process analyzing Nevada’s Juvenile System and developing recommendations for change. That process included convening a team of Nevadans from all branches of government and all corners of the state together with national experts. The final recommendations were then included in one of Governor Sandoval’s signature bills for the 2017 Legislative Session, Assembly Bill 472.
The law establishes the Juvenile Justice Oversight Commission (JJOC) and the Advisory Committee to the Commission. Together in partnership with the Division of Child and Family Services and the county probation departments, the Oversight Commission helps oversee and execute the reforms included in the legislation. One of these reforms was the establishment of an evidence-based program resource center, which the JJOC named the Nevada Center for Juvenile Justice Innovation (NCJJI). On October 19, 2018, NCJJI launched its website http://ncjji.ncjj.org/.
NCJJI’s website connects juvenile justice professionals and stakeholders to information about effective programs and practices and support for selecting, implementing, and maximizing the effectiveness of programs and practices. As the NCJJI grows, the website will contain descriptions of programs and practices that fit Nevada’s agreed upon definition of evidence-based, recorded and live-streamed trainings, and a calendar of upcoming events including in-person training opportunities.
“The Juvenile Justice Oversight Commission represents the very best fruits of collaboration between the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government. One extremely important charge of the JJOC is to stand up the Nevada Center for Juvenile Justice Innovation. Through the center, we can look forward to a “library” of off-the-shelf programs and best practices with which to serve vulnerable kids.
It will be a cost-effective, accessible tool for use throughout the state. This is an exciting time for children and for those who work with them in our system,” said Judge Egan Walker, JJOC co-chair.
The NCJJI is led by the National Center for Juvenile Justice, the research arm of the Reno, Nevada based National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ). Founded in 1937, the NCJFCJ is the nation’s oldest judicial membership organization and focused on improving the effectiveness of our nation’s juvenile and family courts. A leader in continuing education opportunities, research, and policy development in the field of juvenile and family justice, the 2,000-member organization is unique in providing practice-based resources to jurisdictions and communities nationwide. Website users can reach the staff of the NCJJI via phone or email for one-on-one consultation and technical assistance.
PRESS RELEASE courtesy of NCJFCJ.
