Positive Justice in DC: Agency Change through Transformative Mentorship

Session Submission Type: Complete Thematic Panel

Abstract/Description

This panel offers a critical criminological analysis of one of the most radical reform efforts of juvenile justice in the U.S. in recent times. The panelists are both practitioners and evaluators of an agency-led initiative in Washington DC and share their experiences and insights of the realities of youth justice reform in the age of punishment, mass incarceration and deportation. Three years into an holistic evaluation of the initiative the panelists employ a reflexive approach, reflecting on the challenges and possibilities of a progressive youth justice system based on the principles of democratic management, social justice and collective empowerment.

Sub Unit

• Area IX. Critical Criminology / 67. Convict Criminology

Individual Presentations

• “I love these kids:” Mentorship and Masculinity Construction Among Formerly Incarcerated Boys and Men - Rod Martinez, University of Maryland, College Park

• Reforming the Practices of Juvenile Justice: Challenges and Possibilities in Intra-Agency Relations. - Danny Kessler, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

• Processes of Healing: Street Gangs, Power Groups and Credible Messengers. - Antonio Fernandez, Grow Up Grow Out Inc., Baltimore

• What’s Love Got to Do with it? Juvenile Justice Reform in DC. - Lacey Clinton, Dept of Youth and Rehabiliation Services, Washington, DC

• Positive Youth Justice: Credible Messenger Mentoring and Transformation in Youth Mentees - Bahiyyah Muhammad, Howard University

Discussant

• David Brotherton, John Jay College of Criminal Justice / CUNY Graduate Center