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The 2014-2015 Youth Justice Board will look at how to reduce the number of youth in the justice system by looking at the options police officers have at the moment of arrest. Know a young person who would be a great fit for the program? Interested in becoming a member yourself?

Founded in 2004, the Youth Justice Board is an after-school program that brings together young people to study and propose solutions to the public safety challenges that most affect them. Board members serve as a credible voice for youth in the public debate about juvenile justice policy in New York City, providing decision-makers with substantive input from this historically underrepresented group. Each program cycle, a team of 15 to 20 New York City teenagers studies an important issue affecting young people in the city. During the 2012-2014 program cycle, the Youth Justice Board is focusing on school truancy and chronic absenteeism. In June 2013, the Board released ten recommendations on improving school attendance in From Absent to Present, its newest report.

Juvenile justice and public safety issues that members of the Youth Justice Board have addressed previously include:

• Reducing youth crime across New York City, using the neighborhood of Brownsville, Brooklyn as a case study (2010-2012);
• Improving New York City’s juvenile alternative-to-detention programs, and helping young people involved in the juvenile justice system (2008-2010);
• Issues faced by youth involved in the permanency planning division of New York City Family Court (2006-2008);
• Safety problems in New York City high schools (2005-2006); and
• The challenges for youth returning home from confinement for juvenile delinquency offenses (2004-2005).

Participants present their recommendations to key policymakers and then partner with local stakeholders to implement their ideas and make a lasting impact on local policies. Members of the Board participate in intensive training in research and critical thinking, developing skills and gaining leadership experience along the way.