The New York Center for Juvenile Justice’s Mission can be condensed to four words: Judging Children as Children.

We secure justice for children by promoting a model of justice for minors that treats children as children, and responds to their misconduct with strategies designed to improve their chances of becoming constructive members of society.

The NYCJJ strategy to revitalize our Juvenile Justice system has three components:

EDUCATE

We disseminate research on juvenile justice issues, formulate policy proposals and create avenues for communication and cooperation between public and private sectors in an effort to bring about changes that would ensure that children are judged as children.

ADVISE

The New York Center for Juvenile Justice advises on a range of programs designed to improve our Juvenile Justice system. We are convening a coalition of parents, community leaders, mental health experts and others to achieve this goal.

IMPLEMENT

The Center has been involved in the implementation of programs that are expanding the services available to youth and families that find themselves in our Juvenile and Criminal Justice Systems.

The Center was established by Michael A. Corriero who was a judge for twenty-eight years in the Criminal Courts of the State of New York. For sixteen years, Judge Corriero presided over Manhattan’s Youth Part. The Youth Part is a special court created in the Supreme Court of New York State, designed to focus attention and scarce resources on young offenders prosecuted as adults pursuant to New York State’s Juvenile Offender Law. His court became a model for mobilization and coordination of treatment and social services for children prosecuted in adult courts.

After serving on Governor David Paterson’s task force on transforming New York’s Juvenile Justice System, and his involvement with the case of Qing Hong Wu, a case that demonstrated the potentially disastrous collateral consequences of a youthful conviction, Judge Corriero decided to leave his position as Executive Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City to establish the New York Center for Juvenile Justice.

Through advocacy, education, and implementation, the Center is spearheading an effort to transform the way children under 18 years of age are judged and treated in New York courts, including consideration of a fair and reasonable standard (age) of criminal responsibility. The center has developed and intends to implement strategies that will require children under 18 tried in New York’s courts to be judged as children.

The New York Center for Juvenile Justice is represented by:
Michael A. Corriero (Executive Director)
Yuval Sheer (Deputy Director)

 

Designed by Jason Safir