Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators

170 Forbes Road

Suite 106

Braintree, MA 02184

• Phone (781) 843-2663
• http://www.cjca.net

The Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators is a national non-profit organization dedicated to improving youth correctional systems and services. Since 1994, CJCA has brought together youth correctional leaders from across the country to lead and to promote advances in juvenile justice. It identifies and educates the field about best practices, promotes the sharing of research and resources, and educates policymakers and the public about treatment, rehabilitation, and other current issues in juvenile corrections. Through the education and development of correction agency leaders, CJCA aims to improve the practices and policies in local systems and increase the chances of success for delinquent youths.

Partners and clients

CJCA works with chief executive officers of the nation’s juvenile justice agencies and participates in national efforts to educate and collaborate with other child-serving organizations and policymakers. CJCA leads several national initiatives that are developing and implementing new tools for leaders, staff, and youth.

Strategies and services

CJCA serves as a center of leadership training and a national forum on youth correction topics. It is a clearinghouse where agencies across the country can find information on issues, trends, and best practices. It promotes and facilitates education through meetings, conferences, and publications. In the area of standards, CJCA developed and has widely implemented the Performance-based Standards (PbS) for Youth Corrections and Detention Facilities, a blueprint for safe and effective corrections programs. Through this work CJCA has developed expertise in monitoring systems, data collection, and analyses that provide accountability measures for facilities and systems. CJCA is currently field testing a similar model for community-based residential programs. Finally, CJCA works with the National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice to develop a comprehensive approach to identify and serve youth in the juvenile justice system who have mental health problems. Through this work CJCA has developed the knowledge and expertise to build integrated systems of mental health services for juvenile justice youth.

Areas of expertise

Systems Integration