Rutgers Law–Camden and the Rutgers–Camden Community Leadership Center to Host Conference on Juvenile Justice in New Jersey

On Tuesday, March 24, a three-part conference at Rutgers University–Camden will explore key issues affecting the New Jersey youth.  Topics include issues related to the deep end of New Jersey’s juvenile justice system (particularly the importance of data and the harmful practice of solitary confinement) and successful local education solutions for at-risk youth.

“Creating Bridges for Camden’s Youth: Juvenile Justice Concerns and Local Solutions” will feature 10 prominent speakers, including keynote speaker Juvenile Law Center Deputy Director and Chief Counsel Marsha Levick, who will address concerns and opportunities for reform and alternative models for juvenile offenders.

The conference will conclude with a reception, sponsored by the Committee on Institutional Equity and Diversity, in the Stedman Gallery at Rutgers–Camden, where the ongoing art exhibit “Juvenile in Justice,” a collection of photographs of juveniles in prison facilities by Richard Ross, is on view until April 22. The images were taken from the photographer’s visits to more than 250 facilities in 31 states, including Pennsylvania.

According to Rutgers Law–Camden Clinical Professor Sandra Simkins, the conference will further a needed dialogue on what New Jersey is doing right in terms of juvenile justice and where it needs overhaul. Simkins recently joined a coalition of 20 organizations to address New Jersey’s harmful use of punitive isolation, lack of access to family, and lack of data and transparency.

 At 12:30 p.m., Levick, who co-founded the Juvenile Law Center, will offer a keynote address. A nationally recognized expert in juvenile law, Levick oversees the Juvenile Law Center’s litigation and appellate docket. She has authored or co-authored numerous appellate and amicus briefs in state and federal appeals courts throughout the country, including many before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Following the keynote address, Simkins will moderate a panel titled “Focusing on the Deep End of New Jersey’s Juvenile Justice System: Addressing Concerns and Creating Opportunities for Reform.” Featured panelists include Rutgers Law–Newark Clinical Professor Laura Cohen, the Justice Virginia Long Scholar, and Director of the Criminal and Youth Justice Clinic; Executive Director of the Reentry Coalition of New Jersey Bill Curry; and Director of the National Resource Center on Children and Families of the Incarcerated at Rutgers University–Camden Ann Adalist-Estrin.

A second panel, “Alternative Models for Juvenile Offenders: Best Practices for Youth Mentorship and Prevention Tactics,” will be moderated by Rutgers Board of Governors Distinguished Service Professor Gloria Bonilla-Santiago, director of the Community Leadership Center at Rutgers University–Camden. Featured panelists include, representatives from LEAP Academy University Charter High School Khary Golden, where he serves as director of the Center for College Access, and Carmen Ubarry, who oversees LEAP’s character education program. Other speakers on this panel include Esperanza, Inc. National Program Director Melinda Sanchez and Father Jeff Putthoff, the founder and executive director of Hopeworks N’ Camden.

To register for this conference, contact Matthew Closter at matthew.closter@rutgers.edu or (856) 225-6923.

From noon to 4 p.m., the conference will take place in the Multi-Purpose Room of the Campus Center, located on Third Street, between Cooper Street and the Benjamin Franklin Bridge at Rutgers University–Camden.  The 4 to 5 p.m. “Juvenile in Justice” photography exhibit reception, will be held in the Stedman Gallery, located within the Rutgers University–Camden Fine Arts Complex.

For directions to campus, visit camden.rutgers.edu.