Mission

The Mission of the Juvenile Justice Institution (JJI) is to influence juvenile justice policy and practices by providing research, technical assistance and information about resources to juvenile justice and related agencies and the community-at-large.

Goals & Objectives

The primary goal of the Institute is the promotion and exchange of information and resource development that will facilitate the prevention, intervention and reduction of juvenile crime in North Carolina through the use of the following:

• Compile and disseminate information about North Caro lina and national best practices in the field.
• Serve as a resource to the academic community, provid ing information about current programs and practices.
  
• Upon request, provide technical experience and training in generic program types for small, not-for-profit com munity groups.
  
• Survey the public and special interest groups about juvenile justice program effectiveness.
  
• Semi-annually, distribute a newsletter to inform those interested in juvenile justice about important juvenile issues.
  
• Provide training opportunities for criminal justice majors.

History and Background

The Juvenile Justice Institute was established and funded by the General Assembly (Senate Bill 399) in March of 1999 at North Carolina Central University in the Department of Criminal Justice. Its purpose was to help improve juvenile justice in North Carolina.
The Institute commenced operation in January 2000 when Gwendolyn Chunn, who had been the director of the Division of Youth Services for North Carolina, was hired as its first executive director.

Staff

The Institute's staff has responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the Institute. Graduate students assigned to the Institute assist other staff members with academic and administrative duties. The Institute collaborates with visiting faculty from other departments and agencies on projects of mutual interest and benefit to augment the work of its staff and graduate students. Visiting fellows are drawn from fields such as Social Work, Psychology, Sociology, Education, Economics, Public Administration, and Public Health. Fellows play active roles in research, training, and technical assistance projects within their areas of expertise.

Executive Director:
Arnold Dennis
adennis@nccu.edu
919-530-7092

Associate Project Director:
Vacant

Administrative Assistant:
Mark Sutton
emsutton@nccu.edu
919-530-7698

Educational Consultant:
Marguerite D. Peebles
mdpeebles@nccu.edu
919-530-7091

Graduate Assistants:
Jonathan Glen and Megan Parry
919-530-7091
919-530-7697

Areas of Concentration
• Policy Research
• Program Evaluation
• Training and Technical Assistance
• Information Dissemination