About Us

The Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators (CJCA) is a national, nonprofit organization formed in 1994 to improve local juvenile correctional services, programs, and practices so the youths within the systems succeed when they return to the community and to provide national leadership and leadership development for the individuals responsible for the systems. CJCA represents the youth correctional CEOs in 50 states, Puerto Rico, and major metropolitan counties.

CJCA fulfills its mission through educational activities and programs as well as research and technical assistance projects. Education activities include up to three annual meetings free for all directors, offering sessions on best practices and evidence-based approaches. The meetings convene leaders from each state and several large counties to share information, identify issues and strategies to address them, and form a national voice for youth corrections. Education activities also include presentations at conferences hosted by other national organizations and disseminating written materials to the public and policy-makers about the issues in youth corrections, describing the youths and their needs, and the system’s successes and shortcomings.