AIR Youth Fellows Reflect on Amplifying Youth Voice in Juvenile Justice

Who better to inform the path forward after young people exit the juvenile justice system than people with lived experience? Three AIR Youth Fellows, Diego Garcia, Tina Harris, and Ronaldo Villeda, are making their voices heard at AIR and nationwide through the Youth Reentry Training and Technical Assistance Center (YRTTAC). They serve as partners to grantees, guide interviews, and use their knowledge and life experience to offer solutions. AIR operates this center, helping to build capacity among more than 50 Second Chance Act Reentry grantees in more than 30 states. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention administer the center.

In this Q&A, the fellows share insights on their contributions to the center’s work, how to involve youth in research and technical assistance, and how they’ve received support to grow professionally. 
 

Q. How can juvenile justice organizations and advocates meaningfully amplify youth voices?

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Youth fellow Ronaldo Villeda

Ronaldo: There are a multitude of ways to do this within organizational structures, beginning with the simple notion of grounding the work in authenticity by including those who have lived experience. This requires the creation of an intentional space where youth can contribute, make decisions, and inform the work. 

If you want to empower youth, it is not enough to simply offer a seat at the table. You must trust and believe in their ability to accomplish complex, high-level tasks. Only when you create a safe space for youth to explore their strengths and learn from mistakes can you contribute to their growth as they become the next generation of innovators, trailblazers, and champions for their communities.

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Youth fellow Diego Garcia

Diego: It is important to remember that youth are not fragile beings—often their experiences make them strong, resilient, and smart. They have great ideas. Most likely, though, they were not in situations where they had to be professional or communicate their ideas. They do need the support and development that everyone else needs in the beginning to learn how to work in teams and communicate ideas effectively. Our YRTTAC coaches do this by letting us lead some of the work that the center does and providing feedback on how we did.

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Youth fellow Tina Harris

Tina: How can any organization expect to infuse new and innovative ideas when there is minimal outreach to those who could provide such insights? Engaging youth from age groups 5-18 is key! My suggestion is to cultivate long-term engagement opportunities, such as professional development classes, career fairs, and internships before and upon graduation, and partnerships with youth development programs and organizations, such as STEM programs, Federal Trio Programs, the Upward Bound program, and local YMCAs, to spark interest from a young age. This type of outreach is perfect for youth to be creative and connect with other young leaders, all while investing in their own futures with résumé builders, such as creation and presentation of materials, public speaking, computer program navigations, and so much more. 
 

Q. Why is it important to include youth voices in research and technical assistance? What do we gain?

Diego: There are often many blind spots in research and technical assistance—issues adults can’t anticipate until they truly understand the experiences of youth in the juvenile justice system. Including youth voices helps us see things in different ways that we wouldn’t have otherwise. This gives youth the opportunity to tell organizations, agencies, researchers, and capacity builders what is important instead of us trying to guess in a trial-and-error process.

Youth who have overcome the obstacles and adversities of breaking the cycle against staggering odds provide valuable insights and often hold the solutions to address underlying systemic issues inhibiting the care and support for youth to thrive.

- Ronaldo Villeda

Ronaldo: The perspectives we gain by including youth voices can fill gaps in how we approach or assist clients with solutions. Youth development, continuity of care, and reentry are complex and nuanced, often leading to lack of meaningful engagement by system partners—law enforcement and probation officers, courts, agencies, and community-based organizations that make up the system. Those closest to the problem are closest to the solutions. Youth who have overcome the obstacles and adversities of breaking the cycle against staggering odds provide valuable insights and often hold the solutions to address underlying systemic issues inhibiting the care and support for youth to thrive.

Tina: Times constantly change, technology and communication methods are almost instantaneous. There are so many ways to go about gaining knowledge that it is almost unacceptable to limit one’s perspective in this day and age. The same applies to research and technical assistance. The greatest resource to bring into this field is the younger generations of leaders who use tech and media daily. The world gains their knowledge and expertise, while youth benefit by honing professional skills for future endeavors. 
 

Q. What key takeaway should organizations remember for including youth voice? 

Ronaldo: Be patient, be open and understanding, be transparent, lead with intention, do not assume, ask questions, seek guidance from subject matter experts, create open lines of communication, and, most importantly, pay youth a living wage.

Diego: Youth have a lot more to offer than just a story. They can have a huge impact in organizations if they are developed and supported properly.

Tina: There isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” approach to engaging youth. You need a multidimensional approach to successfully incorporate youth voice. And though it may sound difficult, youth voice must be included within the development of said multidimensional approach for it to be truly successful. Someone really got it right when they said, “Nothing about us, without us!” Same concept applies concerning youth voice in organizations. 
 

Q. What personal or professional goals have you been able to work toward or accomplish through your involvement with AIR?

Ronaldo: AIR has helped me actualize a goal I did not think was possible but always dreamt of while I was incarcerated in the juvenile justice system: To become a national expert on juvenile justice, and help positively impact as many youth as possible through this work. Although I have reached this overarching goal, I still have much to learn and experience. In my role as an AIR Youth Fellow, I am exposed to tools, support systems, and resources needed to fully embody my longer-term goal of being a national expert in the juvenile justice field.

Tina: My personal goal of empowering youth to strive and thrive, rather than just survive, continues to develop with the resources AIR provides. As part of YRTTAC, I see in real time the changes this work invokes. I join coaches and grantees during monthly check-ins, aid in connecting them to resources, and share my knowledge of peer mentorship, person-first language, and other empowerment strategies.

Diego: Many of my goals relate to professional and personal development, like becoming a better speaker and working on my leadership skills. As an AIR fellow, I can take advantage of AIR’s many resources. I use LinkedIn Learning a lot, and tuition reimbursement has encouraged me to get back into school to finish a higher degree. My coach and team at YRTTAC are the most supportive people ever. They are always asking me what I need help with and looking for ways I can improve.