America's Youth Justice Story
About this Event
The Center for Youth Justice at Georgetown University and Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc. are proud to announce registration is now open for the 2026 Janet Reno Forum on September 10th!
“America’s Youth Justice Story: Unearthing the Past and Reimagining the Next Chapter” will be an in-person, one-day conference held in the heart of Washington, DC on Georgetown University’s Capitol Hill Campus. During this 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, the Forum will explore the past, present, and future of America’s Youth Justice story through the lens of truth-telling and creative expression.
Through a series of plenary sessions, including “The Forgotten Children of Youth Justice’s Past,” “American Youth Justice Narratives: Perspectives of the Media, Policy-Makers, and Communities,” and “Reimagining the Next Chapter of America’s Youth Justice Story,” we’ll meet storytellers, leaders, community-members, artists, and advocates as they each effectuate change and rewrite the next chapter of youth justice so that the past does not dictate the future.
Spotlight speakers and panelists include:
- Michel Martin, Emmy-winning journalist and host of NPR's Morning Edition
- Tananarive Due, a leading voice in Black speculative fiction and award-winning author of The Reformatory
- Erin Kimmerle, forensic anthropologist, artist, and author of “We Carry Their Bones: The Search for Justice at the Dozier School for Boys”
Outside of the panels, we'll be opening with incredible musical artists, premiering a short documentary from a filmmaker, and celebrating and showcasing work from justice-driven and system-impacted artists.
Finally, the Shay Bilchik Award for Innovation in Youth Justice and the Janet Reno Women’s Leadership Awards will be presented, recognizing the incredible efforts of two individuals who have contributed to rewriting and reimagining a more hopeful and effective, safer and less costly, family-centered American youth justice story.
We are pleased to announce that Clinton Lacey will be the recipient of the 2026 Shay Bilchik Award for Innovation in Youth Justice at the Forum!
Throughout his career, Clinton Lacey has consistently demonstrated a commitment to improve the lives of youth, and challenged the field to think differently about how we engage and support young people. His willingness to collaborate, share his expertise, challenge conventional thinking, and inspire others has strengthened our work and advanced our shared vision of a youth justice system grounded in healing, opportunity, and hope.
In short, his career reflects the very qualities that Shay Bilchik has exemplified throughout his own: visionary leadership, an unwavering belief in the potential of young people, and a commitment to transforming systems so they better serve those who need them most. We cannot think of a more deserving recipient.
Learn more.
We are thrilled to announce that Maxwell II Maxwell will be kicking off the Forum with a musical performance!
Maxwell II Maxwell is the sound of two brothers (Matthew & Joshua Maxwell) who never stopped harmonizing. Rooted in a family tree thick with musical legacy, the duo grew up trading melodies in the backseat of their mom’s car. Maxwell II Maxwell’s sound is unmistakably their own — rich vocal layers, lived-in soul, steeped in love and justice. Based out of Baltimore, MD, the Maxwell brothers create experiences honoring our shared past while driving us toward a better future.
Tananarive Due, winner of an American Book Award and an NAACP Image Award, will be joining us for an author interview!
A leading voice in Black speculative fiction, Due has won an American Book Award, an NAACP Image Award, and a British Fantasy Award. Her books include The Reformatory (winner of a Los Angeles Times Book Prize, Chautauqua Prize, Bram Stoker Award, World Fantasy Award, and a New York Times Notable Book), The Wishing Pool and Other Stories, Ghost Summer: Stories, My Soul to Keep, and The Good House. She and her late mother, Patricia Stephens Due, co-authored Freedom in the Family: A Mother-Daughter Memoir of the Fight for Civil Rights.
“The Forgotten Children of Youth Justice’s Past” will explore how the racist past of the youth legal system led to kids in state custody being buried in unmarked sites, reflect on how that past still impacts the system today, and survey the work currently underway to tell the stories of these forgotten children with dignity and care.
will facilitate a panel that includes:
- , American forensic anthropologist, artist, and Executive Director of the Institute of Forensic Anthropology & Applied Science at the University of South Florida.
- Dorothy Givens, poet and retired Maryland educator of 38 years; member of the Commission on the House of Reformation and Instruction for Colored Children; niece of Fred Ames, one of the Forgotten Children
- Phyllis Hammond, Former President, Carroll County, Maryland NAACP; member of the Commission on the House of Reformation and Instruction for Colored Children; niece of Amos Hammond, one of the Forgotten Children.
- , Director of Reentry Services at the Prisons and Justice Initiative at Georgetown University
Learn more about the Maryland Commission on the House of Reformation and Instruction for Colored Children in this Washington Post story!
“America Youth Justice Narratives: Perspectives of the Media, Policy-makers, and Communities” will explore the stories we, collectively, are telling about today’s youth justice system. What are the most prominent narratives being told about the youth legal system today, by the media, policy-makers, and communities themselves? What are some ways we can help shift those narratives for positive impact? How can we use storytelling and truth-telling to transform lives, to help heal harm and trauma, and make a better future for all?
will facilitate a panel that includes:
- Michel Martin, Emmy-winning journalist and host of NPR's Morning Edition
- Ramon Ramos, Founder and President of The Exception
- Liz Ryan, Stanley S. Nelson Distinguished Practitioner for Justice Reporting & Communications at Louisiana State University and former OJJDP Administrator
- Vincent Schiraldi, The Doris Duke Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy and former Maryland Secretary of Juvenile Services
“Reimagining the Next Chapter of America’s Youth Justice Story” will explore the inspiring efforts of those working tirelessly to create and advocate for practices that are restorative, just, and lead to better futures for our youth, families, and communities.
, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for Youth Advocate Programs, will facilitate a panel that includes:
- Clinton Lacey, President and CEO of the .
- Sonnja Brown, Family Support Partner with Child & Family Behavioral Health Services for the City of Alexandria, Virginia
The Forum will be held in-person on Georgetown University's new Capitol Hill Campus. The 125 E Auditorium provides a large but comfortable setting, allowing participants to be a part of the conversation.
We will also be utliizing the Capitol View Convening Space on the roof of the McCourt Building as well, showcasing art from system-impacted and justice-driven artists!
Coffee, beverages, and refreshments will be available, and attendees are free to enjoy the beautiful Capitol Hill neighborhood for lunch and a bit of a stretch in the autumn air!
The Center for Youth Justice at Georgetown University supports and educates leaders across systems of care to advance a balanced, multi-system approach to improving outcomes for, and promoting the positive development of, youth at risk of youth legal system involvement.
Shay Bilchik, one of the country’s most influential voices in the juvenile justice arena, founded the Center as the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform in 2007. , the current director, works closely with Georgetown’s other policy centers and departments in leading the Center’s efforts. In 2025, the Center was renamed the
A research center within the McCourt School of Public Policy, the pillars of our approach are grounded in the pursuit of five core goals:
- Advancing a strength-based, holistic, and developmental approach for youth, because after all, we must always remember that these are kids
- Promoting authentic, meaningful, and impactful youth and family partnerships, always remembering the mantra of “nothing about us, without us”
- Preventing legal system involvement for youth in the first place where possible and embracing community-driven models and approaches;
- Strengthening cross-system collaboration and partnerships to minimize burdens on youth and families, maximize precious system resources, and achieve positive outcomes for all; and
- Advancing racial justice and equity in the youth legal system; our work must not and cannot cease until all youth and families have equitable opportunities to thrive.
You can find more information at our webite at: https://cyj.georgetown.edu/
Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc. is a 50-year-old donor-supported national nonprofit that partners with youth justice, child welfare, and other systems to deliver community-based services as an alternative to placing young people in trouble or in crisis in corrections, care, and treatment facilities. The nonprofit also applies principles of its family-centered, accountability-focused evidence-based model to help public safety systems reduce violence.
Agenda
🕑: 08:30 AM - 09:00 AM
Registration
Info: As attendees arrive and check in,an assortment of breakfast items will be available.
🕑: 09:00 AM - 09:20 AM
Welcome and Musical Invocation
Info: The Forum will kick-off with an invocation in music and prayer, followed by welcome and introductions by the hosts.
🕑: 09:20 AM - 09:40 AM
Introduction to the Forgotten Children Initiative and Premiere of Short Film
Info: Alongside an introduction to the Forgotten Children Initiative, we are pleased to premiere a new short film about the Initiative.
🕑: 09:40 AM - 10:40 AM
The Forgotten Children of Youth's Past
Info: This session will explore how the racist past of the youth legal system led to kids in state custody being buried in unmarked sites, reflect on how that past still impacts the system today, and survey the work currently underway to tell the stories of these forgotten children with dignity and care.
🕑: 10:40 AM - 11:00 AM
Author Spotlight: Tananarive Due
Info: Tananarive Due, author of The Reformatory, will join us for a remote spotlight Q & A session exploring her work, her process, and the transformative power that art and storytelling can have to change perspectives.
🕑: 11:00 AM - 11:15 AM
Morning Break
Info: During the morning break, we encourage attendees to connect. An assortment of breakfast items and beverages will also be available.
🕑: 11:15 AM - 12:30 PM
American Youth Justice Narratives
Info: “America Youth Justice Narratives: Perspectives of the Media, Policy-makers, and Communities” will explore the stories we, collectively, are telling about today’s youth justice system. What are the most prominent narratives being told about the youth legal system by the media, policy-makers, and communities themselves, and what are some ways we can help shift those narratives for positive impact? How can we use storytelling and truth-telling to transform lives, to help heal harm and trauma, and make a better future for all?
🕑: 12:30 PM - 12:45 PM
Announcements
Info: Before lunch, we'll take a few moments to make announcements.
🕑: 12:45 PM - 02:00 PM
Lunch
Info: We encourage attendees to enjoy the beautiful Capitol Hill neighborhood for lunch and a bit of a stretch in the springtime air!
🕑: 02:00 PM - 02:30 PM
Awards
Info: Presentation of the Shay Bilchik Award for Innovation in Youth Justice
Presentation of the Janet Reno Women’s Leadership Award
🕑: 02:30 PM - 03:45 PM
Reimagining the Next Chapter of the American Youth Justice Story
Info: This session will explore the inspiring efforts of those working tirelessly to create and advocate for practices that are restorative, just, and lead to better futures for our youth, families, and communities.
🕑: 03:45 PM - 04:15 PM
Closing Remarks
Info: We will close the Forum with a review of the day and a benediction.
🕑: 04:15 PM - 05:00 PM
Capitol View Walk
Info: We encourage attendees to continue the conversation in the rooftop Capitol View Convening Space, where we will be showcasing art from system-impacted and justice-driven artists!
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 110.00
