Jill Ward, Director of the Center for Youth Policy and Law and Adjunct Professor, was recently elected to serve as the Northeast Regional Representative for the Coalition for Juvenile Justice (CJJ) Executive Board. Ward was elected to this position by other regional representatives.
The CJJ is a nationwide, non-profit organization that advocates for fair, equitable, and effective juvenile justice systems across the United States. Established to support state advisory groups and promote federal juvenile justice legislation, CJJ works to prevent youth involvement in the justice system and to ensure that those who do enter it are treated justly and given opportunities for rehabilitation. Through policy advocacy, leadership development, research, and public education, CJJ brings together diverse stakeholders—including youth, families, judges, advocates, and policymakers—to advance evidence-based practices and promote positive outcomes for all young people, particularly those from marginalized communities.
“I am most interested in using my experience to help continue supporting the field and sustaining CJJ’s leadership in youth justice,” Ward said of her appointment. “My goal is to strengthen CJJ’s role as a national voice that centers the well-being of young people and to be the go-to organization supporting State Advisory Groups in complying with the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act and addressing critical system reforms.”
The work of CJJ is a direct complement to Ward’s own advocacy and research efforts around Youth Justice issues in Maine and beyond. A nationally recognized leader in the youth justice reform movement, Ward most recently served as Senior Policy Advisor in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) from 2023-2024. Here in Maine, she is actively involved in multiple statewide initiatives including Regional Care Teams, the Youth Community Supervision Initiative and the Strengthening Youth Defense project.
