A 64-year-old nonprofit agency focused on youth justice advocacy and reform is now operating under a new name.
The Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency has changed its name to the Michigan Center for Youth Justice (MCYJ). The change is designed to better reflect the vision of creating a fair and effective justice system for children, youth and young adults, while moving away from outdated, stigmatizing language.
MCYJ Executive Director Mary King explains the name change: “We have the deepest and most profound respect for all that was accomplished by the Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency and we are honored by the legacy. It’s challenging to move away from our history, but we feel that there is a deeper understanding now about the impact of language on how we think. As an organization, we’ve realized we can’t talk about reducing stigma for kids while holding onto a name that paints them in a negative light.”
MCYJ’s priorities are to prevent crime and reduce youth involvement in the justice system, promote the use of diversion, assure equal access to justice in the courts, expand community-based services for justice-involved youth, remove all youth from adult jails and prisons, improve safety in juvenile residential/detention facilities, and increase confidentiality and expungement regarding youth records.
“We are very proud of MCCD’s efforts over the last 64 years, but when Michigan is one of the last states in the country to tackle laws such as raising the age of juvenile court jurisdiction, clearly, there’s more work to be done,” said King. “I’m looking forward to starting 2020 with a new name and a new vision that reflects a new cultural perspective supporting second chances, particularly for young people.”
For more information, visit https://www.miyouthjustice.org.
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