September 8^th – 10th, Judicial Branch representatives from the Courts and Probation traveled to Nashville, Tennessee along with twenty-eight other states to participate in Robert F. Kennedy National Resource Center’s Transformation of Youth Justice Symposium. This symposium gave juvenile justice professionals the opportunity to train and network with others who have the same goal of creating better outcomes for children, while featuring research and evidence-based reforms. Nebraska’s constituents included, Supreme Court Justice Jeffery Funke, Cheyenne County Court Judge Randin Roland, and Lancaster County Separate Juvenile Court Judges Roger Heideman and Elise White, among other juvenile justice professionals from across the state.

Four employees of the Administrative Office of the Courts and Probation had the opportunity to highlight Nebraska and Lancaster County’s juvenile justice transformation efforts. Deputy Administrator Jeanne K. Brandner served on a "Transformation of Youth Justice" panel during a plenary session. The panel provided symposium participants perspectives on undertaking juvenile justice transformation efforts in their jurisdictions. Chief Deputy Probation Officer Bev Hoagland and Juvenile Justice Resource Supervisor Martin Jensen, both of District 3J, presented on Lancaster County’s journey to becoming an adolescent development focused juvenile justice system. Juvenile Justice Reform Specialist Amoreena Brady led a workshop with Hunter Hurst from the National Center for Juvenile Justice on "Data Capacity System Assessment and utilizing the Fundamental Measures for Juvenile Justice" to depict outcomes in transformation efforts.  She also led a training institute focused on Implementation Science, along with De Shell Parker, Deputy Administrator of Milwaukee County, Division of Youth Services.

. . . Submitted by: Amoreena Brady