Youth Justice and Probation Transformation: Interactive Session

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Amoreena Brady is the Juvenile Justice Reform Specialist at the Administrative Office of the Courts and Probation for the State of Nebraska. She began serving in this capacity in March 2019. Ms. Brady has 26 years of probation experience in variety of settings. In 1996, Ms. Brady began her career with the Orange County Probation Department in California. In 2006, she began her career in Nebraska. Ms. Brady moved to the Administrative Office of the Courts and Probation in 2013 where she focused on ensuring best practice juvenile case management techniques were in place for the state. In Ms. Brady’s current role, she works with national juvenile justice experts and is charged with the coordination and implementation of enhancement efforts for the juvenile justice system in Nebraska. She is a trainer and curriculum developer educating probation staff regarding best practices in the field. In June of 1996, Ms. Brady earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Chapman University, Orange, CA. In June 2014, Ms. Brady completed a certificate program and is a fellow of the Georgetown University Center for Juvenile Justice Reform. Ms. Brady has presented on a variety of juvenile justice topics at state and national conferences.

Keith Cruise is Professor and Director of Clinical Training in the Department of Psychology at Fordham University. Dr. Cruise conducts research on the clinical-forensic assessment of adolescents within the juvenile justice system. Dr. Cruise has received grant funding (NIJ, OJJDP, SAMHSA) to examine the effectiveness of enhanced mental health screening for poly-victimization, trauma-informed case planning, and the impact of trauma screening on service delivery and legal outcomes for justice-involved youth. Dr. Cruise also serves as the Director of Behavioral Health Screening Services through the National Youth Screening and Assessment Partners (NYSAP). Together with NYSAP colleagues, he provides technical assistance and consultation to local and state juvenile justice systems in implementing trauma-informed screening and assessment practices. As Project Director of the Center for Trauma Recovery and Juvenile Justice (CTRJJ), a NCTSN technical assistance center, Dr. Cruise engages training and technical assistance in trauma screening, trauma treatment implementation, and collaborative, system-level coordination to enhance trauma informed care. His overarching focus is adopting, implementing, and sustaining evidence-based practices to increase access to appropriate services, enhance adolescent and family functioning, and capitalize on strengths and support resilience while also maintaining community safety.

Hunter Hurst, M.S., Senior Research Associate, has worked for the National Center for Juvenile Justice for over 25 years and has extensive knowledge of juvenile courts and the handling of juvenile delinquency and child protection cases. He was involved with the Models for Change Juvenile Justice Reform Initiative activities for nearly 10 years and directed NCJFCJ/NCJJ’s involvement in the legacy phases of the initiative which developed the national Juvenile Justice, Policy, Practice and Statistics website JJGPS.org. He currently is directing projects in multiple states to assess juvenile justice data capacity under NCJJ’s Fundamental Measures for Juvenile Justice framework (https://ncjj.org/fmjj/)

Robin Jenkins, PhD, is the Associate Director at the Impact Center at Frank Porter Graham Institute, at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. As a senior implementation scientist Dr. Jenkins, trained as a community-clinical psychologist, actively engages leaders and organizations in implementing innovations, reforms, and evidence-supported practices using rigorous implementation practice processes. This work includes the application of implementation science practice strategies and translational frameworks to improve adoption, scaling, and sustainment of evidence-supported initiatives. He and his Impact Center at FPG teammates apply implementation science best practices to state level leadership teams, regional intermediary, and local organizations in behavioral health, child welfare, juvenile justice, and education systems. His career encompasses roles involving prevention and implementation science, public health, child welfare, juvenile justice, community behavioral health and substance use treatment systems. His experience also includes multiple federal, state, and local (county) leadership and policymaking roles. He is a founding board member of the National Prevention Science Coalition to Improve Lives, in addition to leading and participating in many other federal, state, and local boards, commissions, and advisory groups.

John A. Tuell currently serves as the Executive Director for the Robert F. Kennedy National Resource Center for Juvenile Justice focusing on system improvement that enhance youth outcomes consistent with the goals of the youth justice system. Mr. Tuell has devoted his entire professional career to practice within and reform on behalf of the juvenile justice and related youth serving systems. Mr. Tuell has served in Fairfax County, Virginia Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Juvenile Justice Division within the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA), and as founder and Executive Director for Robert F. Kennedy National Resource Center for Juvenile Justice since 2013. He has authored numerous publications supporting the work of the National Resource Center’s local, state and national initiatives, including the Developmental Reform in Juvenile Justice: Translating the Science of Adolescent Development to Sustainable Best Practice Brief in 2017. Mr. Tuell earned his undergraduate degree from James Madison University and his Master of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from George Washington University. He is the proud father of two adult sons, Austin and Zachary.