Transforming youth justice requires change from within systems, taking steps to align culture, information, and processes with the long term vision.
This module includes ways system leaders can change organizational culture, and create a data-driven culture and use data for action.
Undertaking large-scale system transformation depends on many different factors, including knowing where your jurisdiction currently sits relative to a desired vision; the detail and design of policy changes that move toward that vision; and the beliefs and behaviors of the people who will implement these policies. Collecting, understanding and using the right data can both provide a picture of where the jurisdiction sits with regard to the desired vision and provide a path towards that vision through a data-driven culture and keeping track of relevant metrics.
And lastly, real change depends on recognizing the significant role that organizational culture can play in advancing whether and how vision statements get translated and implemented in policies and practices that positively impact young people and their families on a daily basis. For this reason, taking steps to ensure that agency values and beliefs are internalized at all levels—from the agency director to frontline staff, and among community partners—is integral to achieving the ultimate goals of any transformation. Understanding the context of your system and making these changes from within the system first will be beneficial not only to the young people currently involved in the justice system but to a more seamless transformation process more broadly.
Organizational culture generally refers to the collective set of values, beliefs and behaviors that operate within an institution or agency. The culture of youth justice systems in particular have been shaped by their origins, reflecting the country’s history of racism and paternalism (see more in the chapter on Centering Racial Justice and Equity) and how the values and practices associated with these origins have been reinforced over time. Many other factors impact organizational culture, including current policies and practices, institutional structures, leadership, tenure and experience of staff, channels of formal and informal communication, partnerships, training and metrics. Staff who work with young people every day are a valuable resource and are necessary collaborators to bring new visions to reality in practice. Youth, families and communities are essential partners to defining and realizing a new vision for youth justice that will be youth-centered, family-focused and increasingly community-led. As leaders approach the task of shifting organizational culture to align with new values and goals, it is important to be humble, ask questions and be willing and eager to learn from partners inside and outside of the current system.
As part of this new culture, and in order to both understand the current context of youth justice and see a path to the new vision, data analysis is a powerful tool for transformation. Used thoughtfully, the right data can cast light on current system practice, illuminate the mandate for change, and direct leaders where to focus. Data analysis is essential for measuring progress, keeping leaders accountable to the goals and values of transformation and determining the impact of changes made. Making sense of data and turning it into useful information for action begins with having a clear vision of the results the system should achieve and the many drivers that affect those results. Leaders working to transform a system are more likely to attract support and sustain momentum among partners if they can show how the new direction improves system and individual results. In addition, clarifying how changes in each part of the system are expected to contribute to better results is essential to choosing the data to be tracked and to using data to correct course when necessary and ensure continuous improvement.
Learn about how to develop an ongoing staff review team with membership from staff at every level of the agency to facilitate organizational culture change.
Learn about how to how to structure and utilize
system assessments to advance system transformation.
Learn about the different types of analyses that can be useful tools in examining current practice, understanding changes and trends in practice. .
This panel discussed why data is so crucial to efforts to transform youth justice systems and the way we think about justice for young people, how data has been used in past transformation efforts, and some key ways that other leaders can use data (and how to do it).
Explore the importance of bringing together a diverse group of stakeholders to develop a shared vision for youth justice.
Explore why data is so crucial to efforts to transform youth justice systems and key ways that leaders can use data.
Explore how shrinking systems requires system leaders partnering with youth, families and their communities to reform policies and programs internally and externally.
Explore why creating partnerships and getting broad buy-in from an array of stakeholders is essential to transformation and to the type of shift to community-driven justice we are aiming for.