Where is the justice in America’s juvenile justice system?
Why is the U.S. leading the world in youth imprisonment? What should a truly effective juvenile justice system look like? How can the media stay ahead of the story?
On April 23-24, 2012, the Center on Media, Crime and Justice at John Jay College and The Tow Foundation will hold a special Symposium to explore these and related questions with some of the leading players in today’s troubled juvenile justice system: journalists, policymakers, juvenile justice practitioners, scholars, judges and other legal authorities, NGO leaders, activists, and former youth offenders.
The on-the-record conference, to be held on the campus of John Jay College of Criminal Justice, will provide a rare opportunity for scholars, academics and policymakers to engage with journalists outside the pressure of daily deadlines for candid discussions, intensive briefings and roundtable sessions on current juvenile justice law and policies, and their impact on troubled youth.
It is the centerpiece of a unique, year-long national educational Reporting Fellowship program supported by The Tow Foundation for 25 selected journalists and editors who are working on story projects related to juvenile justice issues.
The program is intended to: help reporters understand the complexities of today’s troubled juvenile justice system; provide them with the critical knowledge and skills needed to develop compelling stories in their communities; and familiarize them with the behind-the-headlines stories, innovative programs, trends and new research likely to influence the juvenile justice reform agenda at local and national levels in 2012.
As part of the fellowship program, the John Jay Center on Media, Crime and Justice will establish an online Juvenile Justice Reporters Network that Fellows can access from their home newsrooms. The Network will provide resources and information that will assist them with their projects, including access to selected juvenile justice experts and practitioners, and an online guide to developing issues and research in the juvenile justice system prepared by specialists at John Jay College.
About The Center on Media, Crime and Justice
The Center on Media, Crime and Justice (CMCJ), housed at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY) since 2006 and operated by working journalists based in New York, Washington DC and Los Angeles, is a non-partisan practice- and research-oriented think tank devoted to encouraging and developing high-quality reporting on criminal justice. For more information (and to see other Reporting Fellowships organized by the CMCJ, visit http://www.jjay.cuny.edu/cmcj, or visit our national news & resource website at www.thecrimereport.org
About The Tow Foundation
The Tow Foundation, established in 1988 by Leonard and Claire Tow, funds projects and collaborative ventures in fields where there are opportunities for breakthroughs, reform and benefits for underserved populations. Investments focus on the support of innovative programs in the areas of juvenile justice reform, groundbreaking medical research, cultural institutions, and higher education. For more information, visit www.towfoundation.org.