ONGOING & PLANNED
ACTIVITIES JULY 1, 2022 - JUNE 30, 2023
Centering youth voice and experience, and fostering their professional development NYS YOUTH JUSTICE PEER ADVISORY COUNCIL
YJPAC members and YJI staff visit the NYS Capitol during the Council's kick-off event in Albany, in Summer 2022.
At the request of OCFS, over the past year the NYS Youth Justice Institute (YJI) has developed a foundational concept and structure for an inaugural NYS Youth Justice Peer Advisory Council (YJPAC). A Youth Specialist, funded by OCFS, was hired in December 2021 to complete this planning process. With representatives from around the state, the first YJPAC cohort consists of young adults ages 18-25 with a lived justice system and/or runaway homeless youth experience. Rolling applications began in March 2022 and eight young people have been selected to participate so far. A virtual launch of the Council took place in June 2022 and an in-person onboarding of YJPAC members will be held in Albany on July 21-24, 2022. The YJPAC's mission is to empower young adults with lived experience to become key advisors on youth justice policy and practice development in New York State.