Youth and the Juvenile Court System: A Community Foundation's Commitment to Integrating Voice and Community Expertise

DOI

10.9707/1944-5660.1567

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

1-1-2021

Publication Title

Foundation Review

Volume

13

Issue

2

First Page

79

Last Page

90

ISSN

19445660

Keywords

juvenile court, participatory research, philanthropy, racial equity, Youth

Abstract

• The staggeringly disproportionate numbers of youth of color in the juvenile court system in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, compelled the Pittsburgh Foundation to launch the Youth Voices Juvenile Justice Pilot project. The initiative sought to learn from youth who have firsthand knowledge of the juvenile court system and from those at risk of such an experience in order to inform the foundation's efforts to improve outcomes for youth. • This article outlines the foundation's process for engaging youth and stakeholders in a meaningful way to improve its grantmaking and to better support systems change that leads to reducing youth court involvement through assessment of policies and practices that create the school-to-prison pipeline. • To ensure solutions were driven by affected youth instead of the foundation's own agenda, discussion groups planned in partnership with youth-serving organizations empowered young people to reflect on events that impacted their lives, on their hopes and dreams for the future, and on ways the juvenile court system can listen to their voices and respond with meaningful changes.

Open Access

Green Final

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