Who are we:
The CJJC was originally designed to be a community outreach program reporting on the progress of Juvenile Court of Memphis & Shelby County in meeting its obligations under the 2012 Memorandum of Agreement between the United States Department of Justice, Shelby County Government, and Juvenile Court of Memphis & Shelby County. In October 2018, the Department of Justice announced its termination of the Memorandum of Agreement.
The Shelby County Board of Commissioners, Mayor Lee Harris, Sheriff Floyd Bonner, Jr., and Juvenile Court Judge Dan H. Michael agreed that the work of the CJJC should move forward after the Agreement ended, and supported a re-organization and reconstitution of the CJJC. The CJJC is comprised of up to seven community advocates or experts in areas relevant to juvenile justice issues, including individuals who have interacted with the Court and/or parents, guardians, or mentors of individuals who have interacted with the Court. Community members are nominated by the Mayor and confirmed by the Shelby County Board of Commissioners. The CJJC membership also includes the County’s Disproportionate Minority Contact Coordinator (or equivalent) and a representative of the Shelby County Government Division of Community Services – Office of Justice Initiatives, both of whom of are employees of Shelby County Government and serving in a non-voting capacity.
While the CJJC still conducts widely-publicized meetings every year in order to hear from our community, its focus now also includes the collection of information regarding the experiences of families who participate in the juvenile justice system, discussions with the Judge of Juvenile Court of Memphis and Shelby County and the Shelby County Sheriff (or their designees) regarding their operations, policies, and perceived patterns and trends, as well as making recommendations to elected officials regarding program plans and priorities in juvenile justice institutions and facilities. The CJJC provides community feedback to elected officials and works toward reducing youth contact with the criminal justice system.
The Shelby County Board of Commissioners, Mayor Lee Harris, Sheriff Floyd Bonner, Jr., and Juvenile Court Judge Dan H. Michael agreed that the work of the CJJC should move forward after the Agreement ended, and supported a re-organization and reconstitution of the CJJC. The CJJC is comprised of up to seven community advocates or experts in areas relevant to juvenile justice issues, including individuals who have interacted with the Court and/or parents, guardians, or mentors of individuals who have interacted with the Court. Community members are nominated by the Mayor and confirmed by the Shelby County Board of Commissioners. The CJJC membership also includes the County’s Disproportionate Minority Contact Coordinator (or equivalent) and a representative of the Shelby County Government Division of Community Services – Office of Justice Initiatives, both of whom of are employees of Shelby County Government and serving in a non-voting capacity.
While the CJJC still conducts widely-publicized meetings every year in order to hear from our community, its focus now also includes the collection of information regarding the experiences of families who participate in the juvenile justice system, discussions with the Judge of Juvenile Court of Memphis and Shelby County and the Shelby County Sheriff (or their designees) regarding their operations, policies, and perceived patterns and trends, as well as making recommendations to elected officials regarding program plans and priorities in juvenile justice institutions and facilities. The CJJC provides community feedback to elected officials and works toward reducing youth contact with the criminal justice system.
What is the CJJC Town hall series?
The CJJC holds quarterly transparency and accountability town halls on Youth Justice related issues that are being requested by the community. Our role will be to organize these town halls aimed at bringing together those in leadership/decision making positions within the youth justice system and those with direct experience. These town halls will allow participants to ask questions and express concerns related to the topic of the event. As the conveners, we will document the main topics discussed and organize the information into accessible, short white papers. These documents will be sent out to those who attended as well as posted to public online spaces such as the CJJC website, facebook page, and others. These meetings will be recorded and public record so that those who are currently working on reform efforts, research or advocacy will be able to use the information to make informed decisions related to their work. We also hope that those who are running for elected office will take note of the concerns included and work to integrate them into their planned agenda if elected into office.