Our Transformation of Youth Justice (TYJ) Practice Network was established in 2022. Through the formation of the TYJ Practice Network, the RFK National Resource Center brings together experienced and visionary practitioners from across the country who have championed reform within their local jurisdictions. Collectively, the TYJ Practice Network will share their experience and expertise to help shape the direction of practice and policy reform on a nationwide level.
Click here to learn about our Practice Network Alumni.
A CALL TO ACTION – Resolution Statement
The TYJ Practice Network is pleased to present “A Call to Action: Applying Best Practices for Successful Transformation of Youth Justice” (Call to Action). This resolution, endorsed by the RFK National Resource Center, seeks to support the acceleration of adoption and implementation of policies and practices that will ensure all youth, families, and communities realize positive outcomes within a consistently fair and just youth justice system. Through promotion of research-informed, evidence supported practices and approaches applicable within the unique environment and context of every state and local jurisdiction, the Call to Action provides a roadmap to achieve the optimal likelihood of enhanced state and local system performance and resulting positive youth outcomes.
Read Now – A Call to Action: Applying Best Practices for Successful Transformation of Youth Justice
Meet the Transformation of Youth Justice Practice Network
Scroll below the gallery or click on a member’s name to learn more about the TYJ Practice Network. Click here to learn about our Practice Network Alumni.
Transformation of Youth Justice Practice Network Member Biographies
Shawn Carpenter
Court Administrator/Chief Probation Officer | Hancock County Probate and Juvenile Court | Ohio
Shawn Carpenter is the Court Administrator/Chief Probation Officer for the Hancock County Probate and Juvenile Court, located in Findlay, Ohio. Since 1999, he has been continuously employed with Court, first hired as a Deputy Probation Officer, becoming the Chief Probation Officer in 2005, and then additionally the Court Administrator in 2015. Shawn’s career began by primarily guiding local youth, then evolved into a role primarily tasked with guiding professionals to more effectively work with the youth/families within his community, and ensuring that the logistics of Court operations meet the mission and vision of Judge Kristen K. Johnson. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Bowling Green State University, where he continues to serve on their Social Work Advisory Board, and maintains as a Licensed Social Worker with the State of Ohio Counselor and Social Board. Shawn earned the accreditation of Certified Court Executive from The Supreme Court of Ohio and National Center for State Courts in 2017. While dedicating his professional life to the citizens of Hancock County, Shawn enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters, and riding his motorcycle.
Paul Daniels
Director, Juvenile Court Services | King County Superior Court | Seattle, Washington
Paul Daniels is the Director of the Juvenile Court Services Division of King County Superior Court in Washington State. He graduated from the University of Washington in 2001 and joined King County Superior Court in 2004. In his time with King County, Paul has worked as a Juvenile Probation Counselor, a Probation Counselor Supervisor, Court Services Manager, and now serves as the Court Director. Paul has led efforts to rethink the use of secure detention and implemented strategies that have dramatically reduced the detention population while positively impacting disproportionality for youth of color. Paul received the 2016 Northwest Justice Restorative Justice Award for his work in pioneering alternative responses to family violence and continues to push for transformational change.
Staci Denney
Director of Case Management | Greene County Juvenile Office | Springfield, Missouri
Staci Denney is the Director of Case Management for the Greene County Juvenile Office. She brings multifaceted experience working in juvenile justice. Beginning her career in 2013, she has served in roles supervising youth to provide services, offering victim court assistance, and more administratively in community-based services and case management. Prior to work in juvenile justice, Staci has also held positions at multiple non-profit organizations providing mentor services to youth and shelter for domestic violence survivors. Staci has a passion for working in juvenile justice due to her own experiences in the community she grew up in and ability to influence the practice for youth in the future. Staci earned her bachelor’s degree with a double major in Criminology and Psychology from Missouri State University and her master’s in Criminology with a certificate in Child Forensic Psychology from the same institution. Staci also has a love of scary movies, yoga, and large fluffy dogs! She enjoys her time away from work by spending quality time with her husband and young daughter.
Barbara Duey
Supervising Attorney, Children’s Law Center of California | CWLS (Child Welfare Law Specialist) Care Project | Los Angeles, California
Barbara Duey, supervising attorney, CWLS and CARE Project Director at the Children’s Law Center of California has been committed to improving the lives and outcomes of dual status youth for over thirty years. As a juvenile public defender in Los Angeles County and now as a children’s attorney at CLCLA, Barbara has benefited from the dual perspective of representing children in both systems and seeing, firsthand, the bias against foster youth in the juvenile justice system. Since 1997, Barbara worked with Judge Michael Nash to create the LA dual status protocol as well as creating best practice protocols for CLC attorneys. Her expertise in this area has led to appointments to serve on local, state and national committees all working toward best practice for youth in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. In 2013 she launched the CLCLA CARE unit. CARE provides holistic, trauma informed support and guidance to the youth to help them navigate through and successfully complete probation. The CARE unit provides these youth with a consistent connection with an adult who provides unsolicited attention, acceptance, and advocacy while also modeling for and educating the system to focus on healing, not punishing, the youth.
Honorable Geoffrey A. Gaither
Presiding Judge, Family Division | Marion County Superior Court | Indianapolis, Indiana
The Honorable Geoffrey A. Gaither is the Presiding Judge in the Marion County Family Division Court room 9 in Indianapolis, Indiana. He has served there since 1995. Judge Gaither’s jurisdiction includes delinquencies, child welfare issues, paternities, guardianships, adoptions, child support, custody cases, divorces, dependency cases, protective orders and dual status cases. He also supervises a team of magistrates with an expanded jurisdiction. He has been an adjunct professor at IUPUI and Martin University, motivational speaker, Marion County Juvenile Court representative at the Undoing Racism workshops, created the “Is Indianapolis Another Ferguson?” public forum. Judge Gaither developed The Young Women’s Empowerment Conference Series benefiting young women involved in the juvenile justice system. He also created the Male Mentoring Conference which is a young men’s event that emphasizes mentorship. Judge Gaither has also hosted the 100 Black Men of Indianapolis’ Beautillion Militaire “Know Your Legal Rights” and helped develop the Urban Initiative Hi5 Rallies at local schools empowering young people to take ownership of their educational careers. Judge Gaither earned his Bachelor of Urban Planning degree from the University of Cincinnati and graduated from law school at Howard University. Judge Gaither was an editor and published author on the Howard Law Journal. After graduation, he clerked for the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, is a former Marion County deputy prosecutor, deputy public defender and was in private practice before being sworn onto the bench.
Adolphus Graves
Court Administrator | Cobb County Juvenile Court | Marietta, Georgia
Adolphus Graves, MS, currently serves as the Court Administrator for the Cobb County Juvenile Court. Prior to his current role, he was the Chief Probation Officer for Fulton County Juvenile Court, which encompasses the City of Atlanta and all other municipalities within the county’s geographical boundaries. Adolphus is a committed public servant with over 15 years of supervisory experience in Juvenile Court and Probation Service arenas. Over the years, he has received numerous executive and organizational leadership awards for his efforts as a dedicated public servant. He is appointed to Georgia’s Juvenile Justice State Advisory Group and is an active member of numerous committees and advisory boards in communities throughout the state. Adolphus is deeply committed to contributing to the overall efficiency of Juvenile and Criminal Justice systems across the nation. He consistently promotes organizational adherence to evidence-based principles and multisystem integration efforts that include maximizing community stakeholder engagement. He is also proud to serve as an Adjunct Professor in the Criminal Justice Department at American Intercontinental University – Atlanta Campus. Adolphus holds a B.A. in Sociology with a Criminal Justice concentration from Morehouse College and a M.S. in Criminal Justice with a Public Administration concentration from Liberty University. He is a devoted husband and proud father of four wonderful children.
Beverly Hoagland
Chief Probation Officer | District #3J Probation Office | Lancaster, Nebraska
Bev Hoagland has served as the Chief Probation Officer for the District #3J (Lancaster County, Nebraska) since February 2022. Prior to her current role, Bev began her career with the District #3J Probation in 1992 as a Juvenile Probation Officer and was later promoted to Chief Deputy Probation Officer in 2000. Bev has been instrumental in the development of the Continuous Quality Improvement process within the district and supported the district through the significant reform efforts which occurred as a result of the passing of LB 561 which led to the probation staff in the district growing from 19 to 62 and subsequently resulted in an increase from 500 to 800 youth under active supervision. In 2017, District #3J was selected to participate in a Probation System Review through the Robert F. Kennedy National Resource Center for Juvenile Justice. Bev has provided leadership to the district in these efforts and has worked closely with national partners to gain valuable knowledge around things such as adolescent development, the impact trauma can have on youth, collaborative leadership and Implementation Science. Bev has been a member of numerous state and local committees over the span of almost 30 years. Bev is currently a member of the AOPC Personnel Committee. Locally, she is actively involved in the Commercial and Sexual Exploitation of Children MDT, HopeLNK Lincoln/Lancaster Suicide Prevention Coalition and JDAI efforts in Lancaster County, and a of the American Probation and Parole Association. She was the recipient of the Lincoln-Lancaster County Women’s Commission Ambassador Award in 1999 and the Outstanding Probation Supervisor Award in 2014. Bev earned her bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Science from Midland Lutheran College. Bev and her husband, Ron, are the parents of two children, Garrett and Ariana. Some of Bev’s interests include working out, teaching cycling classes, reading, cooking, outdoor activities and anything else that is family related.
Lance Horozewski
Assistant Administrator | Division of Juvenile Corrections | Wisconsin Department of Corrections | Madison, Wisconsin
Lance Horozewski is the Assistant Administrator of the Wisconsin Department of Corrections’ Division of Juvenile Corrections. He previously served as the Rock County Children, Youth & Families Manager overseeing Juvenile Justice, Child Protective Services and Youth Detention Center Services. He began his career in residential treatment serving severely emotionally challenged boys. Lance has spent his entire 17-year career working with high-risk youth and families as a social worker, supervisor, policy and planning analyst and now as a county level division administrator. Various projects Lance has led include a system’s reform project of the Rock County Juvenile Justice System as part of the MacArthur Foundation’s Models for Change initiative. He spearheaded the establishment of the first Wisconsin Juvenile Justice Leadership Network, which brought together both state and county level juvenile justice leaders to move forward statewide juvenile justice reforms. He currently oversees the development of the first Wisconsin Juvenile Justice Practice Model which was finalized in July 2015.
Nick Juliano
President & CEO | RADIUS | Omaha, Nebraska
Nick Juliano, PhD, MBA, serves as President & CEO of RADIUS, a non-profit organization with a focus on restoring relationships between youth, families, and their community in Omaha, Nebraska. Nick is an accomplished leader with more than 25 years of nonprofit experience. His diverse practitioner background includes direct care, training and organizational development, youth and family program administration, business and program development, community engagement, and advocacy and public policy. Nick serves on a variety of local and regional committees seeking to improve system responses for youth and families including Co-Chair of Juvenile Services Committee of the Nebraska Children’s Commission. One of Nick’s primary interests is the important role of youth and family voice in improving system policies, decisions, and access to services and supports. Nick has been co-chair of the dual status initiative in Douglas County, known as Youth Impact!, since its launch in 2012. Nick holds a PhD in Public Administration and an MBA from the University of Nebraska Omaha. He is a fellow of the Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare: Multi-System Integration Certificate Program at the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform (CJJR) at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy.
Kathy McNamara
Community Placement Manager & Senior Probation Officer | Department of Probation & Court Services | Wheaton, Illinois
Kathy McNamara, MSW, LSW, CTP, is the Community Placement Manager for the Department of Probation and Court Services of the 18th Judicial Circuit – DuPage County since 1999. Kathy has dedicated her career to supporting, guiding, and advocating for youth in the Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare systems. Prior to joining DuPage County Juvenile Probation, Kathy worked as a crisis counselor under the Minors Requiring Authoritative Intervention Act, working with youth engaging in runaway behaviors and youth involved in lock out situations. Kathy currently serves on the Children’s Justice Task Force, on which she held the position of Vice Chairperson from July 2015 to June 2019. Kathy earned her B.A. in Criminal Justice from Aurora University, and her MSW degree from the University of St. Francis. She is also a fellow of the Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare: Multi-System Integration Certificate Program at the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform (CJJR) at Georgetown University Public Policy Institute. Kathy enjoys cooking, gardening, hiking, and spending time with her husband, Rich, and their newly welcomed Boxers, Lourdes and Floki.
Mark M. Mertens
Executive Director | Norris Adolescent Center | Mukwonago, Wisconsin
Mark Mertens is Executive Director of the Norris Adolescent Center and member of the Columbia Justice Lab’s “Youth Corrections Leaders for Justice” coalition. He is the former Administrator for the Division of Youth and Family Services for Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. He has over two decades of experience as a juvenile justice manager in Wisconsin. Previously, Mark led Outagamie County’s participation in the Models for Change DMC Action Network generously funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and with his colleague Melissa Blom worked with the Robert F. Kennedy Children’s Action Corps as one of four initial sites to participate in the MacArthur and OJJDP-sponsored Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare System Integration Technical Assistance initiative. Mark’s primary interests are in juvenile corrections reform, improving service delivery to impact positive outcomes for dual status youth, violence prevention, and reducing racial disparities. Mark has also worked as a juvenile disposition social worker, an intensive in-home family therapist, a mobile crisis intervention counselor, and a unit manager for a residential treatment center for youth. He has a master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
Jerald Moore
Division Manager for Juvenile Probation | Hennepin County Department of Community Corrections and Rehabilitation | Minneapolis, Minnesota
Jerald Moore is a 31-year veteran of the Hennepin County Department of Community Corrections and Rehabilitation (DOCCR), where he currently serves as the Division Manager for Juvenile Probation. Prior to his current role, Jerald was the Senior Administrative Manager for Hennepin County’s Diversity and Equal Justice Unit, where he fostered the unit’s mission to “Drive criminal justice reform in the DOCCR with a focus on reducing racial disparities.” Jerald is currently the chair of the statewide Ethnic and Racial Disparities Subcommittee, working to eliminate or significantly reduce disparities in Minnesota’s juvenile justice system. The mission is to eliminate or significantly reduce Ethnic and Racial Disparities in Minnesota’s juvenile justice system. Jerald was previously co-chair of the Adult Detention Initiative. In this capacity, he managed all aspects of the Adult Criminal Justice System Reform Initiative for the Hennepin County Public Safety line of business, with the mission to use data-driven and best-practice strategies across the system to find ways in safely reducing county-wide detention, and a particular focus on addressing the disproportionate impact on people in poverty and communities of color. Throughout Jerald’s professional career with DOCCR, he was a Corrections Program Manager who served as the Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative (JDAI) Coordinator and was responsible for the coordination, management, and expansion of the JDAP. He also coordinated the Hennepin County Crossover Youth Initiative and the Hennepin County Girls Continuum of Care Initiative. His work includes coordinating efforts within the juvenile justice system and collaborative partners to reduce disproportionate minority contact, inappropriate use of detention, and over-reliance on detention in Hennepin County, which is the most populous county in Minnesota. Jerald has also worked as a Juvenile Corrections Officer, Juvenile Probation Officer, Electronic Home Monitoring Parole/Probation Officer, Corrections Unit Supervisor and a Program Manager for Juvenile Probation. The Executive Committee of the Fourth Judicial District selected Jerald as the recipient of the Steven A. Pihlaja Justice Partner Award for 2020. This award recognizes a justice partner who serves the community or advances the cause of justice, and the award is presented annually to a justice partner who exemplifies the highest level of judicial excellence, integrity, fairness, and professional ethics.
Kari Rumbaugh
Deputy Administrator | Juvenile Probation Services Division | Administrative Office of the Courts and Probation/Supreme Court | Lincoln, Nebraska
Kari Rumbaugh is Deputy Administrator for the Juvenile Probation Services Division within the Administrative Office of the Courts and Probation. She leads statewide juvenile probation efforts through established goals and outcomes focused on best-practice approaches. Kari has over two decades of probation experience, beginning her career as a juvenile probation officer for the Lancaster County Separate Juvenile Court in November 2000. In 2006, she joined Probation Administration as Deputy Interstate Compact Administrator, serving as the Juvenile Interstate Compact Commissioner from 2012 to 2014. In 2007 she developed the Rural Improvement for Schooling and Employment (RISE) Program in collaboration with AmeriCorps which received national recognition twice for outstanding innovation (2010 and 2014). Additionally, Kari took on the role of Compliance Officer creating and conducting probation district evaluations in June 2012. In 2014, she became the Assistant Deputy Administrator for the Juvenile Probation Services Division. Recognition for Kari’s work includes receiving the Advanced Coaching for Excellence (AC4E) Recognition for Leadership in Development award in 2018. Then in April 2014, Kari was the recipient of the First Lady’s Outstanding Community Service Award in the Professional Commitment of Service. Other awards include the Outstanding Team award in 2012 and 2023, plus earning the Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision (ICAOS) Executive Directors Award in 2011. Kari earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Family Science with a Minor in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, in addition to multiple certificates. Kari has taken on leadership and training roles in her career and currently holds positions on local and national juvenile justice focused boards and committees.
Magistrate Nichol Smith
Court Administrator/Magistrate | Clark County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division – Juvenile Section | Ohio
Nichol Smith currently serves as the Court Administrator for the Clark County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division – Juvenile Section. Prior to her current role, she was the Assistant Director for the Clark County Department of Job & Family Services, a quadruple combined public service agency. Nichol is a dedicated public servant with over 15 years of supervisory experience. She is committed to increasing the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the juvenile justice and child welfare systems by supporting strong, collaborative family and child centered programming. Nichol received her Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Xavier University in 1994 and her Juris Doctorate from the Moritz College of Law at The Ohio State University.
Honorable Thomas Sotelo
Chief Judge | Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court | Fairfax, Virginia
Judge Thomas Sotelo was appointed to the Bench in December 2008 and is in his third term, currently serving as Chief Judge (Chief Judge appointments: July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2018; July 1, 2021 – present). Judge Sotelo presently serves on numerous committees, which include: Virginia Council of Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court Judges (past board member); Advisory Committee to the Court Appointed Special Advocate and Children’s Justice Act Programs (Chair); Advisory Committee for Judicial Mentoring Program (committee member and mentor judge); DOE Local School Superintendents/Judicial Liaison Committee; and Fairfax County JDRDC Supervised Visitation and Exchange Program Advisory Board. His previous memberships include: Parent Education Advisory Committee; Vision 21: Linking Systems of Care for Children and Youth Advisory Council; and Region 6 (Northern Virginia) Representative, Judicial Liaison Committee, Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice (Chair from July 1, 2016, to June 30, 2018; Member of Standardized Dispositional Matrix Stakeholder Group). He also served on the Virginia State Bar’s Harry L. Carrico Professionalism Course Faculty. Judge Sotelo is a frequent speaker/panelist at continuing legal education, bar, and judicial events. Judge Sotelo practiced law for approximately 18 years. His areas of concentration included domestic relations, juvenile and criminal law.
Mark Werner
Director | Juvenile Redeploy Services, Juvenile Justice Division | Circuit Court of Cook County | Chicago, Illinois
Mark Werner has been employed with the Circuit Court of Cook County for 25 years. He is currently the Director of Juvenile Redeploy Services for the Circuit Court of Cook County Juvenile Justice Division. He has also served in several capacities in the Juvenile Probation Department with his last position being Section Chief over Administrative Services and Human Resources. He serves as the department’s liaison to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, and he has conducted trainings for DCFS and on dual status youth in the past. He is honored to work with the probation officers and Judges on difficult delinquency cases that involve DCFS or child welfare issues. He helped develop two workgroups that staff high risk cases with child welfare issues with the goal of keeping them from being further entrenched in the juvenile system. In his current position, the Redeploy Program is designed to keep youth out of secure detention and offer intensive therapeutic services. He also serves as faculty for the Illinois Judicial College through the Illinois Supreme Court. Mark has his Bachelor of Arts in Education and Master of Science in Administration of Justice. He and his wife are former foster parents and adopted their son Josh. He also has two biological daughters, Addison and Isabella. In his spare time, he loves to coach his daughters’ softball teams.
Practice Network Alumni
With the launch of the RFK National Resource Center in January 2014, two networks were initially formed to focus on critical areas of youth justice reform: the Dual Status Youth Practice Network and the Probation System Reform Practice Network. These networks laid the foundation for the work we continue today through the Transformation of Youth Justice Practice Network, established in 2022. We proudly recognize the significant contributions of the alumni from these pioneering groups, whose efforts helped shape the mission, goals, growth, and impact of the RFK National Resource Center.
Dual Status Youth Practice Network Alumni
Melissa Blom
Outagamie County Department of Health and Human Services
Appleton, Wisconsin
Laura Garnette
Santa Clara County Probation Department
San Jose, California
Hon. Douglas F. Johnson
Douglas County Juvenile Court
Omaha, Nebraska
Roy Juncker
Jefferson Parish Department of Juvenile Services
Harvey, Louisiana
Jessica Heldman
Children’s Advocacy Institute, University of San Diego School of Law
San Diego, California
Bruce Knutson
Juvenile Court Services, King County Superior Court
Seattle, Washington
Hon. Willie Lovett – In Memoriam
Fulton County Juvenile Court
Atlanta, Georgia
Brian Richart
El Dorado County Probation Department
Shingle Springs, California
Hon. Sheri Roberts – In Memoriam
Newton County Juvenile Court
Covington, Georgia
Elorie Stevens
Department of Children and Families
Springfield, Massachusetts
Marcus Stubblefield
King County Executive Office
Seattle, Washington
Probation System Reform Practice Network Alumni
Robert “Bob” Bermingham
Fairfax County Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court
Fairfax, Virginia
Hon. Sheila Calloway
Davidson County Juvenile Court
Nashville, Tennessee
Mark Ingram
Idaho Supreme Court
Boise, Idaho
John P. Millett
Juvenile Court Department, Office of the Commissioner of Probation
Boston, Massachusetts
John S. Ryals, Jr.
Jefferson Parish Department of Juvenile Services
Harvey, Louisiana
Keith Snyder
Pennsylvania Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Richard Steele
Pennsylvania Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Hon. George Timberlake
Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission
Mt. Carmel, Illinois