So, Emily how did you find out that you had been appointed and how did you feel?
After I was selected to become a member of the Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee (JJAC) I was sent the news release given by Governor Pawlenty that announces all of his recent appointments to various committees. I also received my official appointment certificate and a congratulations e-mail from the Chair of the committee, Richard Gardell. When I first applied I was not sure how tough the selection process would be and what my chances were for getting the position, which made me all the more eager to find out whether or not I was appointed. When I found out that I had received the appointment I was very excited about working at the state level and applying what I was learning at my internship with Hennepin County Juvenile Probation. Since my appointment my eyes have been open to many more things that are not only happening in my county or state, but also what is happening in juvenile justice across the nation. Being part of the change on so many levels is really exciting and rewarding.

Are you at all nervous at to serve on an important state committee? 
As in being involved with anything larger than ourselves, there seems to be some sense of inadequacy, at least for me. I am eager to be part of JJAC because I know that it is going to challenge a lot of what I think about our government system and its many facets. It is intimidating as well to be sitting in a room with eighteen others who are mostly all in their careers and older and wiser than myself in terms of juvenile justice. There’s a lot I have to learn, but I think that my excitement to do so is helping me stay on my feet and get over the challenging and intimidating circumstances. Every great opportunity should give us a sense of how small we are, although the fun comes in recognizing that we are part of something so big.

What does the Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee do? 
The Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee (JJAC) advises the governor and state legislature about issues, trends and practices related to Minnesota’s juvenile justice system. JJAC is responsible for Minnesota’s compliance to the federal Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Act and carries out its requirements to protect the youth involved in the juvenile justice system. JJAC also submits annual recommendations to the governor based on the findings of the committee and allocates grant funds to various organizations and projects supporting the well-being of the youth throughout the state of Minnesota.

What do you think you will bring to (add to) the committee? 
I hope that through being on this committee I will learn a great deal more about myself and the justice system in which I live and work. Through my own learning and experience I hope to contribute to the committee with ideas and motivation to seek change. I am currently interning with Hennepin County Juvenile Probation and hope that this experience will increase the amount of input I can give to the committee and give me a good foundation of understanding the system that is in place. Through my familiarity with juvenile probation I also hope to bring a different perspective to the committee and that my perspective will be challenged as well.

How did you become interested in juvenile justice and probation? 
When I first came to Augsburg and decided to become a social work major I knew that I wanted to work with youth struggling with chemical dependency. My personal history plays a large role in giving me a passion for the field of social work and I was really excited to begin my internship at the beginning of my junior year. The more that I have learned about the justice system and all its aspects the more I began to question a lot of things and wrestle with the injustices of the world around us. When the opportunity arose for me to serve on JJAC I couldn’t refuse; I was really curious to find out what these issues looked like on a macro level and how the government was dealing with them. I am now even more passionate about juvenile justice and would love to keep serving in this field.

Why did you choose social work as a way to help the situation? 
I find that social work is as much of a practice as it is a worldview. It is a very unique perspective when we are looking at individual lives in the face of a massive society where everything seems all but fair and equal. This is especially evident in the justice system that we have set up; those individuals in the system really need advocates on the inside and people who are willing to see a different view of their reality. Complacency often leads to inequalities; my hope is that seeing these inequalities would never allow me to be complacent. Studying social work has prepared me to understand my world in a different light and be ready to engage it in whatever ways that I can.

The Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee (JJAC) is charged, under the federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, with providing advice and recommendations to the Governor and the State Legislature on issues, trends and practices of the state’s juvenile justice system.

JJAC, comprised of representatives from private non-profits, resource practitioners for juveniles and government officials and administrators, is aware of the need for an overarching view of the juvenile justice system in order to spotlight emerging juvenile needs, best practices in juvenile programming and a user friendly and effective governmental system. JJAC is also aware there may be duplication of services, disconnected services or no services in specific geographic areas and is seeking ways to ameliorate such inadequacies.

JJAC has long held that all youth in our society are at risk due to enormous challenges they face during the maturation process. However, some are more at risk than others due to the demographics of poverty, family dysfunction, chemical and mental health issues, disparities based on cultural and ethnic discrimination and a society that accommodates violence on many levels. These high risk juveniles are those that JJAC believes can most benefit from an inclusive and comprehensive approach to juvenile justice and it is with these youth that JJAC is most concerned and committed.