Looking Ahead: Transforming Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare (2022 Juvenile Justice & Children's Rights Section Program)
8:25 Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:55 Welcome and Introductions
9:00 Recent Legislative Changes
Jacquelyn "Jacqui" Greene, UNC School of Government, Chapel Hill
Review changes in juvenile delinquency law in North Carolina over the past year, including the increase of the minimum age and changes to requirements and processes for court-ordered mental health assessments. Professor Greene also discusses juvenile transfer procedure.
10:00 Break
10:10 Restorative Justice
Jon Powell, Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law, Raleigh
The Restorative Justice Clinic at Campbell University's School of Law receives referrals from Wake County schools and juvenile court and conducts victim impact and reentry circles in the prison system and the community. Professor Powell, who serves as the Clinic's director, discusses the role of restorative justice in our community and its impact on juveniles.
11:10 Break
11:20 Family Accountability and Recovery Court
Chief Judge Elizabeth A. "Beth" Heath, North Carolina District Court for Judicial District 8, Kinston
This session acquaints participants with proven strategies for child welfare cases in DSS court with a focus on the Family Accountability and Recovery Court (FARC) — a program for parents, guardians or caretakers who are involved with DSS or struggle with substance use. FARC provides treatment, intensive care management, and judicial supervision to increase the likelihood of reunification of families or positive outcomes for parents and children. Due to its success, FARC was recently selected as one of nine Rural Innovation Sites by the Rural Justice Collaborative Advisory Council in partnership with the National Center of State Courts. Judge Heath has been the leader of FARC since its inception 16 years ago.
12:20 Adjourn
12:20 Juvenile Justice & Children's Rights Section Annual Meeting
Jared Simmons, North Carolina General Assembly, Legislative Drafting Division, Raleigh, 2021-2022 Section Chair, Presiding
Description
North Carolina implemented many changes in the juvenile justice system from prior reform efforts in past years. This has opened alternatives for the traditional juvenile justice system to assist youth in our communities.
Contributors
Jacquelyn "Jacqui" Greene
Jacquelyn "Jacqui" Greene is an Assistant Professor of Public Law and Government at UNC School of Government in Chapel Hill. She joined the UNC School of Government's legal faculty in 2018 to focus on juvenile justice. She teaches, advises, and writes about juvenile law as it relates to the juvenile justice system.
Jacqui authored the Juvenile Justice Reinvestment Act Implementation Guide in 2019 and trained juvenile justice stakeholders across North Carolina in this new law that raised the age of juvenile court jurisdiction.
Before coming to the School, Jacqui provided national training and technical assistance on the intersection of juvenile justice, schools, and mental health. She came to that work following 15 years of New York State government service in juvenile justice, including as the Executive Director of the Governor's Commission on Youth, Public Safety, and Justice; and as Director of Juvenile Justice Policy at the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services. Her work included shaping New York State's "Close to Home" juvenile justice reform initiative, designing fiscal incentives to foster the use of community-based services when appropriate, providing technical assistance to school–justice partnerships, and coordinating reentry system improvement planning.
Jacqui also directly represented children in family court matters, beginning her legal career providing legal services to runaway and homeless youth and continuing to represent young people in a range of Family Court matters in New York State.
Jacqui earned her bachelor's degree in psychology and political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her J.D. from Harvard Law School.
Chief Judge Elizabeth A. "Beth" Heath is a district court judge for the 8A and 8B Judicial Districts in Kinston. Prior to joining the court in 2002, she was a partner at the law firm of Wallace Morris and Barwick.
Beth received her undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and her J.D. from the Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law.
Michelle FormyDuval Lynch
Michelle FormyDuval Lynch is Staff Counsel at the North Carolina Guardian ad Litem State Office in Raleigh.
Prior to her current position, Michelle was in private practice for over 18 years. She has concentrated in appellate litigation and juvenile law for most of her career. She has been represented clients in numerous appeals to the N.C. Court of Appeals and the N.C. Supreme Court in civil, criminal, and juvenile cases.
Michelle earned her B.S. from East Carolina University, her M.A. from N.C. State University, and her J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law. After law school, she clerked for a Chief Circuit Court Judge in Georgetown, SC, and for Judge Robert C. Hunter at the N.C. Court of Appeals. She was in private practice for over 18 years.
Jon Powell serves as the director of the Restorative Justice Clinic at Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law in Raleigh. The program receives referrals from the juvenile justice system, juvenile court, Wake County Schools and the Capital Area Teen Court program. Throughout this mediation process, law students are involved as active co-mediators with trained law school faculty. This clinical experience provides valuable experience to law students in learning ways to approach and resolve problems which occur from criminal activity. Part of the mission of the Restorative Justice Clinic is to help spread the word of Restorative Justice throughout the state of North Carolina and to assist others in the state in starting Restorative Justice programming.
Jon has spoken on many occasions to various groups on the topic of Restorative Justice and has assisted organizations in starting mediation programs based on the Campbell model. Campbell Law School was privileged to host the third National Conference on Restorative Justice in June of 2011 and Powell was the lead planner.
Prior to working with the project, Jon practiced law in Wake and Harnett counties. Jon's primary focus was in criminal defense with an emphasis on juvenile law.
Jon received his law degree from Campbell University in 1998. Prior to attending law school, Jon worked for Carolina Power and Light Company, during which time he received his B.A. in Communication from North Carolina State University.
Jared Simmons is a staff attorney in the Legislative Drafting Division of the North Carolina General Assembly in Raleigh. He drafts legislation for the State Budget and various legal areas as requested. He has been a Guardian ad Litem in Wake County since 2016.
Jared is a member of NCBA Juvenile Justice and Children's Rights Section.
Jared earned his B.A. from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and his J.D. from Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law. After law school, he clerked at the North Carolina Court of Appeals before joining as staff at the NCGA in 2018.