About this Event
The Center for Youth Justice at Georgetown University and Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc. are proud to announce registration is now open for the 2026 Janet Reno Forum on September 10th!
“America’s Youth Justice Story: Unearthing the Past and Reimagining the Next Chapter” will be an in-person, one-day conference held in the heart of Washington, DC on Georgetown University’s Capitol Hill Campus. During this 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, the Forum will explore the past, present, and future of America’s Youth Justice story through the lens of truth-telling and creative expression.
- We’ll meet storytellers, leaders, community-members, artists, and advocates as they each, in their own ways, serve as truth tellers to effectuate change and rewrite the next chapter of youth justice.
- We’ll unearth a forgotten, painful past, and survey the work underway to bring dignity to those who our society has literally buried in unmarked sites.
- We’ll look clear-eyed at the challenges and harms that are present in today’s youth legal system, but also at the inspiring efforts of those working tirelessly to create practices that are restorative, just, and lead to better futures.
- Participants will also dive into the cathartic power that art can have to shift perspectives, nurture empathy, and help heal harms through an array of creative expressions including an art gallery, spoken word, music, and more from justice-driven and system-impacted artists.
Finally, the Shay Bilchik Award for Innovation in Youth Justice and the Janet Reno Women’s Leadership Awardswill be presented, recognizing the incredible efforts of two individuals who have contributed to rewriting and reimagining a more hopeful and effective, safer and less costly, family-centered American youth justice story.
More details, including panelists, speakers, and featured artists will be announced in the coming weeks and months!
The Forum will be held in-person on Georgetown University's new Capitol Hill Campus. The 125 E Auditorium provides a large but comfortable setting, allowing participants to be a part of the conversation. We will also be utliizing the Capitol View Convening Space on the roof of the McCourt Buidling for a gallery walk and more!
Coffee, beverages, and refreshments will be available, and attendees are free to enjoy the beautiful Capitol Hill neighborhood for lunch and a bit of a stretch in the autumn air!
The Center for Youth Justice at Georgetown University supports and educates leaders across systems of care to advance a balanced, multi-system approach to improving outcomes for, and promoting the positive development of, youth at risk of youth legal system involvement.
Shay Bilchik, one of the country’s most influential voices in the juvenile justice arena, founded the Center as the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform in 2007. , the current director, works closely with Georgetown’s other policy centers and departments in leading the Center’s efforts. In 2025, the Center was renamed the
A research center within the McCourt School of Public Policy, the pillars of our approach are grounded in the pursuit of five core goals:
- Advancing a strength-based, holistic, and developmental approach for youth, because after all, we must always remember that these are kids
- Promoting authentic, meaningful, and impactful youth and family partnerships, always remembering the mantra of “nothing about us, without us”
- Preventing legal system involvement for youth in the first place where possible and embracing community-driven models and approaches;
- Strengthening cross-system collaboration and partnerships to minimize burdens on youth and families, maximize precious system resources, and achieve positive outcomes for all; and
- Advancing racial justice and equity in the youth legal system; our work must not and cannot cease until all youth and families have equitable opportunities to thrive.
You can find more information at our webite at: https://cyj.georgetown.edu/
Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc. is a 50-year-old donor-supported national nonprofit that partners with youth justice, child welfare, and other systems to deliver community-based services as an alternative to placing young people in trouble or in crisis in corrections, care, and treatment facilities. The nonprofit also applies principles of its family-centered, accountability-focused evidence-based model to help public safety systems reduce violence.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Georgetown University Capitol Campus, 125 E Street Northwest, Washington, United States
USD 89.99 to USD 110.00
