For 15 years, Mark Ferrante worked in the youth service system at the county level in New Jersey. Working on a variety of youth issues from mental health to substance abuse to employment, Ferrante soon realized how many of the issues he was dealing with overlapped with juvenile delinquency – and he also realized he wanted to change the face of juvenile justice in a larger sense.

“Coming from the county level, I had a great overview picture of juveniles in general,” Ferrante says. “There is a prevailing philosophy for me that the most important thing we can do is keep youths out of the juvenile justice system. For those who do enter the system, we want to stop their progression through the system and intervene as early as possible.”

Consistently focused on juveniles, and juvenile justice issues, Ferrante's hard work in New Jersey has not gone unnoticed. He spent years serving as a Juvenile Justice Commission (JJC) program administrator, and was recently named the National Juvenile Justice Specialist for the Coalition of Juvenile Justice (CJJ), a non-profit association made up of more than 1,500 volunteers from the public and private sectors of juvenile justice. CJJ serves as a resource for juvenile justice issues and delinquency prevention.

Voted into the position by his peers in juvenile justice across the country, Ferrante now serves as an information liaison between the CJJ and his colleagues in the juvenile justice system. He also has the chance to serve as a non-voting member of the CJJ's National Steering Committee and liaison for the Federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

“There has definitely been a change in responsibility since I was elected,” says Ferrante. “I find that almost on a daily basis, I am responding to correspondence between states. It's a change in the flow of information. In this position, you really do get a feel for what's going on out there in the broader arena of juvenile justice.”

Ferrante's new position allows him to share information across state lines, which often helps inspire juvenile justice programs in different areas. He has been elected to a two-year term, which means he has the chance to make an impact in juvenile justice. Now in this position, Ferrante has a chance to make the change he envisions.

“In taking on this role, I was hoping to become a bridge builder. There are some states out there that are doing some very different things across the board that other states don't know about. I want people across the country in juvenile justice to feel empowered, informed and as if they are part of something larger. By doing that, we can have a really positive development [in juvenile justice].”

The Corrections Connection recently spoke with Ferrante about his nomination, his new position, and juvenile justice across America.

Q: What have you learned from your new position?

Ferrante: I've learned that the word networking can be used in a lot of ways. We can use networking in a positive way, like when we increase communication from state to state. We have to speak across the country to exchange ideas. On the state level, we've been involved in a number of juvenile initiatives, including alternatives to incarceration.

I'm also learning where we can improve, across the board. Obviously this position is not all feel-good. There are concerns in the juvenile justice arena that people aren't paying attention to young offenders anymore. There has been a recent loss of government funds, and some people are concerned about what the future will hold. Everyone wants to see crime rates go down, but we need funds available for prevention, treatment, and sanctions for juveniles who do become involved in the system.

However, that said, I do think a positive swing is occurring. We're focusing on viable alternatives to incarceration, which is positive. That's one of the best benefits of being involved in organizations like the CJJ – there is a lot of information out there. You learn that state policy makers are doing certain things in one state, while other states are changing things in different ways.

Q: What are your goals in this position?

Ferrante: I have to go back to the idea of being a bridge-builder, again. I would love to see a variety of agencies come together and look at the major issues in juvenile justice right now. We need to focus on community-based programs, working with families, treating juveniles as juveniles and creating positive alternatives to incarceration.

I would also like to raise awareness about best practices. I think we have to provide as many opportunities as possible to talk about best practices and make that information available in juvenile justice. These practices have been proven to work for specific populations and that information has to be available.

Q: What would you like to see changed in juvenile justice?

Ferrante: There are some things that make it difficult to change things in juvenile justice. Most of it goes right back to the very heart of program development. I guess right now, it's the most frustrating to see programs getting less funding and to see that funding go to a program that is sort of working on it's own. In juvenile justice, we need a comprehensive approach – we all need to work together. So it's a concern to have shrinking federal funds.

Meanwhile, I think there is a tremendous amount of great training out there for juvenile justice employees. There are workshops across the nation that we can take advantage of to look at the nexus of child maltreatment, juvenile justice, and even equal justice in the system for juveniles. The Coalition for Juvenile Justice is even working on a conference in the fall for that topic.

I think we just need to continue to share information, focus on prevention and community-based programs – and we will create more balance in the juvenile justice system.

Q: How do you stay positive in juvenile justice?

Ferrante: I have always been excited about helping juveniles. But there are a number of ways to stay positive. Once you figure out what juveniles need, adapting to that keeps you positive because you can see results.

Many youths do want the same thing – they are looking for a sense of acceptance, they want a sense of self-worth; they want to belong to a group. What we try to do is make that group more positive in juvenile justice. We know they want positive family relationships, so we try to work with their families whenever possible. We're aware that the general public tends to look down on juveniles once they offend and they are often seen as bad kids. But we know there is another side of that which can be developed. As long as we provide the help we can, we can change things like recidivism. That's something to stay positive about, certainly.

Q: How did you feel about being named National Juvenile Justice Specialist?

Ferrante: Obviously, I was really excited about this. I have a chance right now to make an impact on the field of juvenile justice, and draw attention to issues that are important. There are wonderful opportunities out there.

Speaking to people across the country has helped and it has changed my perspective a little bit. It does go back to the idea of networking and sharing information. That's a crucial part of what I'm doing now.

I am excited to continue doing work in juvenile justice, and to be a part of CJJ's leadership for the next few years. It's just great to be a part of this process.