Justice Ambassadors Fall Policy Presentation and Certificate Conferral

Justice Ambassadors is a platform for 18 to 24 year olds who’ve been previously justice-involved and youth residing in New York City, to participate in an eight week, structured classroom setting with city officials to hold conversations about challenging community issues, including poverty, trauma, racial inequality, and to co-develop policy proposals. The program’s components are: 1) personal change – participants complete a 3-5 page statement that identifies an aspect of themselves they wish to improve and change, 2) community change – students conduct group presentations at NYC youth centers to advocate for community change and individual accountability, and 3) social change – students and city officials develop co-authored policy proposals to improve adverse social conditions. In sum, the Justice Ambassadors will build on the leadership skills of youth and provide them with the opportunity to become drivers of democratic change within their community.

Justice Ambassadors—Youth Council is a collaboration between the Center for Justice at Columbia University, various organizations around the city, and city officials from agencies such as the Bronx Borough President’s Office, Mayor’s Office, Department of Probation, Department of Education, New York City Council, New York City Police Department, Manhattan, Bronx and Brooklyn District Attorney Offices, Institute for Innovation in Prosecution, and NYC Administration of Child Services.

The first cohort met in the Spring of 2019 and the second one is currently underway. The class meets twice a week for seven to eight weeks at Columbia University. In the first weekly sessions, youth and city officials engage in policy discussions. In the second weekly sessions, youth visit community-based organizations and city bureaus/agencies to develop a sense of how social systems operate. The proposals are presented at the Justice Ambassadors Youth Summit, at the end of the course.

For more information, please contact:

– Lovestar Rogers , Recruiter for the Justice Ambassadors [email protected]

– Professor Geraldine Downey, Director, Center for Justice [email protected]

– Claudia Rincon, Associate Director, Center For Justice [email protected]

– Jarrell Daniels, Program Manager Justice Ambassador Youth Council [email protected]

– Jay Holder, Program Outreach Coordinator, Justice Ambassadors [email protected]