How does Models for Change promote juvenile justice reform?
The Models for Change initiative invests in strategic states and local sites with a demonstrated commitment to juvenile justice reform aligned with the initiative’s core principles. In these sites, the initiative targets systemic leverage points, referred to as targeted areas of improvement (TAI), such as reducing the disproportionate contact of youth of color with the juvenile justice system, ensuring appropriate mental health treatment for juvenile offenders is provided when needed, and implementing age appropriate evidence based programs, which are thought to be catalyzing issues whose successful reform will radiate change throughout the system. Models for Change supports reforming systems, rather than individual policies or practices, to provide the most powerful opportunity for long-term improvements in juvenile justice. The initiative is capturing the strengths of diverse juvenile justice systems with different needs and challenges, and creating a variety of state and local model
