JusticeTalks

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What would it look like to move juvenile justice from punishment to prevention?

In this episode of JusticeTalks, Dr. Rebecca Fix shares how her personal experiences shape her research and vision for reform. She discusses why prioritizing the well-being of youth—and the professionals who serve them—is critical to building a more effective and equitable system.

From trauma-informed approaches to system-level change, this conversation explores what it truly means to prevent harm before it occurs rather than responding after the fact.

🔍 In this episode, we discuss:

•  Why prevention must be central to juvenile justice reform 
•  The role of practitioner well-being in system effectiveness 
•  How trauma shapes both youth outcomes and system responses 
•  What a prevention-focused justice model could look like in practice 

🎧 Listen now and join the conversation on advancing a more equitable, prevention-centered approach to juvenile justice.

Visit our website at https://aajjrs.org/ to learn about AAJJRS and to become a member. 

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Dr.  Melissa S. Jones is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Brigham Young University.

Dr. Jones’ research efforts focus on exploring how exposure to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and other forms of trauma shape life outcomes across the life course and how these processes may vary by groups. To that end, her research focuses primarily on the associations between experiencing trauma and various health and behavioral outcomes, including involvement in crime and delinquency.

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Dr. Jula Krupa is an Assistant Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University.

In this episode, Dr. Krupa discusses her research interests, including health and social disparities among justice-involved youth and young adults. She is particularly interested in the intersection between public health and juvenile justice, unmet health needs among marginalized youth and young adults, and program evaluation. 

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Dr. Peter Lehmann, Assistant Professor, Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Sam Houston State University 

Dr. Lehmann discusses his research interests in this episode, including Disproportionate Minority Contact/racial and ethnic disparities, school discipline and pathways to the juvenile justice system, and juvenile transfers to adult court. He also discusses how researchers and scholars should respond to the youth “crime wave” narrative, how practitioners can bridge the gap between research and policy and practice, and topics that need more research and evaluation.

Visit our website at https://aajjrs.org/ to learn about AAJJRS and to become a member. 

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Check out this episode of JusticeTalks, a podcast by the American Association of Juvenile Justice Researchers & Scholars (AAJJRS). 

In this episode, Dr. Anne Hobbs, Director of the Juvenile Justice Institute at the University of Nebraska Omaha, shares her expertise in the juvenile justice field and research interests. She also delves into the Institute's research and evaluation efforts and ways to bridge research with practice in Nebraska and nationwide.

Visit our website at https://aajjrs.org/ to learn about AAJJRS and to become a member.