In this companion episode to our previous podcast on the assessment center model, we highlight the Juvenile Assessment Center (JAC) in Colorado. Hear from Executive Director Sarah Troy, board member and former JAC client Kaelie McNeilley and NCJA Program Manager Anica Stieve about how youth are referred and comprehensively assessed through this supportive hub to prevent involvement with juvenile justice and child welfare systems, and how stakeholder support plays a critical role in the success of this important community-led resource.  

Resources Mentioned: 

• National Assessment Center Association (NAC) framework 

Are you searching for ways to expand your capacity for data access or analysis? Do you need help telling the story of your criminal justice data? Tune into this episode of The NCJA Podcast and join NCJA Research Analyst Alexis Cooney as she speaks with Laramie Riggs and Esteem Brumfield from the Center for State Governments (CSG) Justice Center about Justice Counts, a national initiative providing tools, resources and custom support to help criminal justice agencies make their data journey easy, straightforward and impactful. Learn what participation in Justice Counts looks like, including how to enhance data-driven decision-making and strategic planning, and how custom dashboards can help streamline your data processes.

Episode Resources:

• Sign up to participate (opt-in) to Justice Counts!
• Want to know more before opting in? Book a meeting with Laramie.

In this episode of The NCJA Podcast, Program Manager Anica Stieve dives into the juvenile justice world to explore the assessment center model, a supportive hub for youth and families that provides support and diverts youth from juvenile justice and child welfare system involvement. In this conversation, Molli Barker Cook, executive director of the National Assessment Center Association, guides listeners through the history of the model, the key components, and how communities can adapt the model to individualized community needs.

Episode Links:

• Assessment Center Framework 
• Assessment Center 101 Training
• Technical Assistance Support

Part one of a future two-part podcast series discusses how to build meaningful relationships with tribes, community stakeholders and law enforcement, and how to leverage those connections to influence change in the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR) space. Listen as NCJA Program Manager Amanda Blasko speaks with Matt Lunn, Director of the Colorado  Division of Criminal Justice, and Melody Delmar, Director of Colorado’s Office of the Liaison for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (OMMIR)  as they chronicle their initial steps and shared vision for these relationships, the importance of the role of the SAA in MMIR work, and how the unique role of Colorado’s co-located SAA and OMMIR act as a force multiplier for change.  

In this episode, join Dr. Abigail Tucker as she discusses the

Episode Resources: 

Alaska's Village Public Safety Officer (VPSO) program is an innovative and long-standing initiative providing essential public safety services in rural communities. Overseen by the Department of Public Safety but run locally through grants awarded to regional organizations, VPSOs are first responders in rural Alaska, trained in law enforcement, search and rescue, fire safety and emergency response. Join NCJA Program Manager Jessica Grisler and VPSO Division Director James Hoelscher to hear firsthand insights on the unique challenges and rewards of this critical public safety role. 

In this episode, join NCJA Program Coordinator Iyana Crawford for a conversation with Andre Peart, CEO and Founder of Untapped Solutions, an innovative application being used in the reentry space. Untapped Solutions is a reentry platform that connects nonprofits, employers and job seekers to build stronger communities through technology and opportunity.  Founded by formerly incarcerated, recently homeless individuals from Black and Brown communities, Untapped Solutions’ mission is deeply personal. Through this discussion, explore the importance of reentry in the criminal justice system and learn how Untapped Solutions is revolutionizing the way agencies are delivering reentry services.

Episode Resources:

 Learn about the powerhouse approach of trust-based relational intervention (TBRI) as NCJA Program Manager Demaxia Wray speaks with two Texas-based practitioners—Darius Payne and Troy McPeak—about implementing the model in the juvenile justice space. In this lively discussion, discover how the model helps empower vulnerable youth through connection, how it can be used to combat generational trauma, and hear from Darius and Troy about the impact of the model— on themselves and the youth it’s designed to serve.  

Episode Resources: 

In this episode, learn from a true trailblazer in the field of language access as Dr. Omara Rivera-Vázquez shares impactful insights with NCJA Program Manager Demaxia Wray about the importance and power of language access and the creation of language access plans, the necessity of centering fairness in this work, and the power of reframing language and language accessibility using the framework of language justice.  

Language Access Resources Mentioned in this Episode: 

Vermont Office of Racial Equity 2023 Language Access Report 

The Plain Language Action and Information Network 

Guidance to Federal Financial Assistance Recipients Regarding Title VI Prohibition Against National Origin Discrimination Affecting Limited English Proficient Persons 

Executive Order 13166 

Department of Justice Language Access Plan 

Department of Justice Language Access Planning Tools 

U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 

In episode 34, Program Manager Amanda Blasko speaks with Dr. Kim Gorgens from the University of Denver about the prevalence of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in criminal justice, how having a TBI affects an individual’s success in the system and beyond, and how the Colorado Brain Injury Model, which has been adapted by other states, came to fruition. 

 Helpful Links: