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Youth Justice Council

The Youth Justice Council serves as an advisory committee for the Hennepin County juvenile justice system. The work of the council focuses on developing and implementing policies, programs and practices that aim to eliminate disparities in the juvenile justice system and increase resources for youth and their families that positively impact the community and enhance public safety.

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Upcoming meetings

June 2021

Wednesday, June 9, 2021, 3:30 – 5:30 pm
Meeting will be held virtually, join online
Agenda will be added closer to meeting date

September 2021

Wednesday, September 8, 2021, 3:30 – 5:30 pm

December 2021

Wednesday, December 8, 2021, 3:30 – 5:30 pm

Past meetings

Meeting agendas and minutes are available for meetings that have occurred within the past 12 months.

March 2021

February 2021

January 21, 2021

The Youth Justice Council is a collaborative effort among Hennepin County juvenile justice system stakeholders and community members who are committed to creating an equitable, fair, and effective juvenile justice system.

The mission of the Youth Justice Council is to improve and reform the juvenile justice system by eliminating the unnecessary use of secure detention, eliminating disparities based on race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability and providing resources to effective community-based and culturally appropriate services for youth and their families.

Youth Justice Council charter (PDF)

Sub-committees

The Youth Justice Council has several sub-committees that help guide future work.

  • Executive Steering Committee
  • Eliminating Racial Disparities
  • Assessment Tool Workgroup
  • Underserved Youth Committee
  • Youth Advisory Board

Guiding principles

The work of the Youth Justice Council is guided by the following core principles:

  • Secure detention will be used per statute definitions only for those youth who pose a risk to public safety, who won’t appear in court despite the use of alternatives;
  • Promoting and enhancing community safety through a lens of recognizing, and investing in the strengths of youth, families and their communities while ensuring connections to resources and opportunity are present;
  • Decisions regarding who should be held in secure detention will be based on an objective and validated Risk Assessment Instrument (RAI);
  • No youth shall be disparately impacted at any stage of the juvenile justice system based on race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identify or disability;
  • Effective, evidence-based, promising, culturally appropriate and community-based services will be developed for youth and families involved in the juvenile justice system to maximize positive outcomes for youth, their families, and the community;
  • Community members, youth, and their families will be encouraged to participate within all aspects of the Youth Justice Council;
  • Data collection and data analysis will be used to assess the status of our practices, identify problems or issues within the juvenile justice system, and evaluate programs and practices to drive policy decisions and system reform.

The Youth Justice Council will be chaired by one community representative (non-Hennepin County employee) and two Hennepin County juvenile justice system representatives. Members include a diverse group of community representatives, including youth, and juvenile justice system stakeholders.

Youth Justice Council

Chairs

Dr. Brittany Lewis, Humphrey Institute

Judge Mark Kappelhoff, Juvenile Court

Jerald Moore, Juvenile Probation Division Manager

Members

Members of the Youth Justice Council will represent the following designated areas:

  • Community representatives: 12 members (to include representatives from the impacted communities of color, faith-based community, community providers, parents and other concerned citizens)
  • Hennepin County Attorney's Office: 1 member
  • Hennepin County Board of Commissioners: 1 member
  • Hennepin County Community Corrections and Rehabilitation: 1 member
  • Hennepin County Human Services: 1 member
  • Juvenile Court Judge: 1 member
  • Minneapolis Police Department: 1 member
  • Minneapolis School District: 1 member
  • Public Defender's Office: 1 member
  • Steering Committee Chairs: 3 members
  • Suburban Police Department: 1 member
  • Youth Justice Council Coordinator: 1 member

Sub-committee chairs

  • Eliminating Racial Disparities:Sarah Davis, Legal Rights Center and Willie Bridges, Hennepin County Attorney’s Office
  • Assessment Tool Workgroup: Adesola Oni
  • Underserved Youth Committee: Beth Holger, The Link; Judge Amy Dawson, Juvenile Court; and Judge Kathryn Quaintance, Juvenile Court
  • Youth Advisory Board: Annastasia Guilfoyle, YMCA
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