These Are Our Kids: A Podcast for JDAIconnect

Season Two - it's a wrap.Beth Oprisch and Shavonte Keaton put the finishing touches on Season Two of These Are Our Kids: A Podcast for JDAIconnect. A huge thank you and shout out to our guests this season: Jared Garrett, William Rodriguez, Carmen Terrones, Glenn Larson, Derrell Frazier, and Natalie Steiner.  Each brought special insight and inspiration to our four questions of Season Two.What did 2020 teach you?What are you hopeful for in 2021?How do we take the next steps for race and equity?Why is your why? We hope you enjoyed Season Two of These Are Our Kids: A Podcast for JDAIconnect. If you are late to the party it's never to late to listen.  Check out Season One and Season Two from the JDAI Resource Center or wherever you download your podcasts.

Welcome to another episode in Season Two of These Are Our Kids: A Podcast for JDAIconnect.  This week's guest was Natalie Steiner. Natalie is the local JDAI Coordinator in Circuit 13 for the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice. Tampa Bay is once again The City of Champions. The Tampa Bay Lightning won the Stanley Cup, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the Super Bowl, and the Tampa Bay Rays were the runner-up in the World Series.  And  to add to the championship status, Tampa Bay has Natalie Steiner.  Listen to this champion talk about gratitude, the new normal and passion to action.Looking forward to your comments and suggestion about the podcast.We hope you enjoy Episode 14 of These Are Our Kids: A Podcast for JDAIconnect.

Welcome to another episode in Season Two of These Are Our Kids: A Podcast for JDAIconnect.  This week's guest was Derrell Frazier.What a conversation! Talk about a passionate advocate for justice reform. Alive. Strength. Value. Legacy.  Did you know that Derrell has a super power?  Just listen.  The the whole episode is a mic drop.  Mic Drop.  Boom.Looking forward to your comments and suggestion about the podcast. We hope you enjoy this episode of These Are Our Kids: A Podcast for JDAIconnect.

Welcome to another episode in Season Two of These Are Our Kids: A Podcast for JDAIconnect.  This week's guest was Glenn Larson. As if there aren't enough reasons to wish this pandemic away, here's another one - an opportunity to meet Glenn.  He's steady and true as a leader.  He's kind and compassionate in his approach. He's thoughtful and intelligent in his work.  And he's a Green Bay Packer fan.  What more do you want?  Listen to him talk about hope, calm and health. And see how he gives Ross Geller a run for his money for his use of PIVOT. Looking forward to your comments and suggestion about the podcast. We hope you enjoy Episode 12 of These Are Our Kids: A Podcast for JDAIconnect.

Welcome to episode 11 of Season Two of These Are Our Kids: A Podcast for JDAIconnect.  Today our guest was Carmen Terrones. Carmen is full of energy and insight, passion and promise, commitment and calling.  She calls herself spicy.  We call her authentic and courageous.  She's no diamond in the rough, she is the diamond. We were lucky to have this gem on the podcast.  Go ahead and listen.  We think you'll agree.Looking forward to your comments and suggestion about the podcast.   We hope you enjoy Episode 11 of These Are Our Kids: A Podcast for JDAIconnect.

 Welcome to Episode 10 of Season Two of These Are Our Kids: A Podcast for JDAIconnect.  Today's guest was Willie Rodriguez. Willie is a professor at Boston University and the co-founder of the Reimagining Juvenile Initiative.  He's received too many awards to list, but is most proud of being "Father of the Year,"  That's Willie. Talking to Willie - what a treat.  It's hard to chat with him for only 20 minutes. He is so engaging, energetic, and enthusiastic - you just want to keep chatting. There is no stopping DJ Prof. (listen, you'll understand)  Looking forward to your comments and suggestions about the podcast. We hope you enjoy Episode 10 of These Are Our Kids: A Podcast for JDAIconnect.

Welcome to the first episode of Season Two of These Are Our Kids: A Podcast for JDAIconnect.  Our first guest this season was Jared Garrett.  Jared is a JDAI Team Leader from the Commonwealth of Kentucky.  He is also the first winner of the inaugural JDAIconnect Engager Award that was presented at the 2019 Inter-site Conference in Seattle  Red Carpet Interviews @ the JDAI Awards! Jared is what we- in the JDAIconnect biz consider a super-user.  A super-user translates to someone who posts, discusses, engages, and is invested in JDAIconnect. He is one of our JDAI Connectors.If this episode leads you to wanting some more Jared, check out Kindness is Timeless Day 3 or click through the  21-Day Equity Habit-Building Challenge | Welcome where you get a glimpse of Jared's wisdom and passion. He is also featured in this blog Re-Visualizing Data in Fayette County and in this video Talking Data Culture with Jared Garrett.Looking forward to your comments and suggestions about the podcast. Hey, also say hey to Jared Garrett.  He is on JDAIconnect!We hope you enjoy this episode of These Are Our Kids: A Podcast for JDAIconnect.  Thanks for listening.

Welcome to Season Two of the Podcast.  For those fans of Season One, COVID delayed our production, but did not deter our spirit and we are back! Just when you thought there couldn't be yet another podcast, here we are again.  For those who have no idea that there was a Season One, well, what are you waiting for? We know you have some time! Check it out. This season we are interviewing six amazing reformers who will answer four questions:1. What did 2020 teach you?2. What are you hopeful about in 2021?3. How do we move the equity work from talk to action?4. What is your Why? The episodes will drop weekly, starting on February 10th.  Normally we would say the podcasts are a perfect companion on a train, on a plane, or in the car. We aren't quite there yet. However, they are also great for cleaning out a closet, doing a load of laundry or on the COVID couch. We hope these episodes help to inspire and guide you.  It's also okay if they make you smile. Thanks for joining us.  Enjoy!

Listen to this mini-episode where the hosts of the podcast share a little more about themselves while bidding farewell to the first season. Beth and Auri review the highlights of the season, makes a call to action, and sends the warmest thanks to our listeners and guests. If you are just now aware of the podcast, never fear! Click on the Podcast in the Resource Center to catch up on all of the episodes and read the descriptions.What’s next? Share your feedback- did you listen to the podcast? What were your favortite moments? Have you shared the podcast with your network? Should there be another season? If so, who would you like to hear from and which topics should we cover?Thanks for sticking with us this first/pilot season. Again we appreciate Sam for sparking the discussion, PJI for producing the podcasts, and all our guests for volunteering their time. We hope you continue to do the good work for all of our kids. Till next season!

Welcome to Episode 7 of These Are Our Kids: A Podcast for JDAIconnect. When we recall the 21-Day Equity Challenge, on day one we asked “What is your why?”. Many of you all shared heartfelt, sincere stories about people- impacted youth, families, communities are all part of the reason why you show up and do the work. Well, our season would not be complete without hearing from the youth.Today's very special episode features a conversation with Lakeisha Phelps and Jasmine Jones, youth leaders from Nebraska. This discussion illuminates the power of youth perspective and resilience.Here are the profiles of our guest on today’s episode:Jasmine Jones grew up in the Miller Park area of North Omaha. She has had her fair share of experiences in the foster care system and the juvenile justice system. Jasmine states, “I never had a childhood nor a teenage life either. I was stripped from myself to conform to someone I wasn’t. I didn’t even get a chance to find myself until I aged out, and to this day I’m still searching for her!!”Lakeisha Phelps is a Youth Navigator with the Nebraska Family Support Network. Lakeisha does this work with a passion born of lived experience in the foster care and juvenile justice systems. Lakeisha entered foster care at age 10 and aged out at 19 after 88 placements. Lakeisha brings “youth voice” to teams/committees such as Youth Impact, Runaway Taskforce, Operation Youth Success, and Systems of Care Leadership Council. She facilitates the Juvenile Justice Youth Council. Lakeisha represents Nebraska on the Copeland Center National Youth Advisory Council. She is a trained WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) facilitator for both adults and youth. Auri had an open and honest conversation about the journey that led them to engage with the system, how they have overcome and persisted through trauma, and what they have learned so far about working in the juvenile justice reform space. The warmth and vulnerability in this conversation led us down a path of unpacking aspects of detention that are typically unique to women and girls involved with the system. Topics such as sex trafficking, abuse and neglect, developmentally inappropriate punishments are addressed with candor and sensitivity. Here are some resources highlighted in our conversation. These resources live outside of JDAIconnect but could be useful for community members who are impacted or who work with folks who need extra support:Becoming by Michelle ObamaNational Runaway Hotline- https://www.1800runaway.orgYES House- https://www.yesomaha.org/contact/contact.htmlSet Me Free- https://www.setmefreeproject.net/aboutDoors to Wellbeing- https://www.doorstowellbeing.orgThank you to Operation Youth Success for investing in the type of opportunities that allow for youth to thrive. Thank you, Shelly Salter, for advocating for youth voice and for always following through. Most importantly, thank you Lakeisha and Jasmine for showing up to the conversation with such vibrance and presence. Anyone willing to listen will indubitably learn from you both. What did you learn from this episode? What part of Lakeisha and/or Jasmine’s story resonated with you the most? Looking forward to your comments about our conversation.We hope you enjoy Episode 7 of These Are Our Kids: A Podcast for JDAIconnect.

Welcome to Episode 7 of These Are Our Kids: A Podcast for JDAIconnect.For this episode of the first season of the podcast, PJI's Auri Whitaker and Beth Oprisch chatted with Lisa Macaluso.Lisa cut her JDAI chops in New Jersey and has spread her wings, and wealth of knowledge, across the nation as a JDAI Team Leader and Technical Assistant. We talked about Rutgers, New Jersey and state scale. We talked about dissertations, changed career paths, and Lisa's why. We discussed the art and science of JDAI implementation and leading "from the middle". We talked, laughed, and learned from one of the great voices in the field. Lisa references the JDAI In New Jersey Practice Guide and gives her colleagues and friends from the Garden State props for becoming the first state to Implement JDAI Statewide. You should also check out Jennifer LeBaron's blog on that accomplishment. Lisa also wrote a blog about state scale on JDAIconnect. And finally, here is the matrix she talks about on the podcast.Thanks to the amazing MAC for being on the podcast.

Welcome to Episode 5 of These Are Our Kids: A Podcast for JDAIconnect. We sat down with James Payne in Miami at the State Scale Convening in December 2018. Jim is a fascinating man with a ton of experience. He talked about his time as a prosecutor in New York City and his evolution in thinking about how to effectively work with young people. Jim also discussed his thoughts about the future efforts of JDAI. Here is some more information about the various topics that we chatted about:Deep EndRace Equity and Inclusion Action GuideTransforming ProbationState ScaleJim doesn’t have a large social media presence. You won’t find him on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. He is on JDAIconnect! We should have thought to capture a photo of him from our recording in Miami – something to keep in mind for Season 2. Here's a photos of the "softer" side of Jim at the 2017 JDAI Inter-site National Conference.As always, we are looking forward to your comments.We hope you enjoy Episode 5.

Welcome to Episode 4 of These Are Our Kids: A Podcast for JDAIconnect.Today's episode features a conversation with Steve Bishop and a discussion about transforming juvenile probation.Steve Bishop is a senior associate in the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Juvenile Justice Strategy Group. He provided content expertise for 2018 Transforming Juvenile Probation: A Vision for Getting It Right. We sat down with Steve in Baltimore to talk about how, and why it is important, to “get probation right”. Steve talks about his path in the probation field and why the work is important to him. He also discusses the the tow pillars of probation outlined in the report. To learn more about probation transformation, consider these resources on JDAIconnect.Town Hall on Transforming Juvenile ProbationTransforming Juvenile Probation WebcastThe Basics of Probation Transformation – Two ChartsA Bold Vision for Getting Juvenile Probation RightAnd in case you are interested, here’s a photo of John Augustus. If you aren’t sure who that is, listen to the podcast.Looking forward to your comments about our conversation with Steve Bishop and your efforts to transform probation in your jurisdiction. We hope you enjoy Episode 4 of These Are Our Kids: A Podcast for JDAIconnect.

Welcome to Episode 3 of These Are Our Kids: A Podcast for JDAIconnect.In today's episode we talk about data. Yep, data. And before you judge the episode and wonder how in the world this topic could be appealing, have a listen. Our guest Jason Melchi, is the Chief Data Dude. He is engaging, interesting and his passion for data and bridge-building with data is infectious. He's an IT guy with a service heart. Listen and you'll understand. Jason is the owner of Empact Solutions - a social entrepreneurship with a mission of leveraging backgrounds in data, social work, evaluation and organizational development to empower justice systems and their partners to inspire positive impact through data-informed decision-making. They help to demystify data by using an approach that is as much social work as it is data work, meeting organizations where they are at while providing innovative and accessible consulting services. In this episode of our podcast, Jason talks about the new data core strategy pages on JDAIconnect, data visualization, and bringing empathy into the data work. We also talk about baseball and Indiana - where he first started his work with JDAI. Nancy Wever - you and the fine folks of Indiana don't want to miss this episode.Here's a look, to go along with the listen, of the Chief Date Dude in action. We are looking forward to your comments about our conversation with Jason Melchi. We hope you enjoy Episode 3 of These Are Our Kids: A Podcast for JDAIconnect.

Welcome to Episode 2 of These Are Our Kids: A Podcast for JDAIconnect. For this episode, we met with Lisa Garry in her hometown of Baltimore. Lisa personifies passion for youth and both she and her work are recognized nationally. She is the recipient of the Annie E. Casey Foundation's The Distinguished Leadership Award and the MacArthur Foundations Champion for Change Award. Currently, Lisa is employed by the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services. She was in that position during the protests in the aftermath of the death of Freddie Gray and the time that has come to be known as Baltimore Rising.We asked Lisa to share her experiences of Baltimore Rising as a JDAI site. Did JDAI work during the turbulent time? Listen to the episode to hear Lisa's response and her insight on "resetting" the initiative and the importance of our work being value-driven. During the podcast, Lisa refers to her work with Models for Change and the Center for Children's Law and Policy.

Welcome to the first episode of These Are Our Kids: A Podcast for JDAIconnect. We asked Nate Balis to join us as our first-ever guest and he sat down with us at his office in Baltimore to discuss his vision for the podcast as a platform on JDAIconnect. He also outlined the four themes that will be highlighted on JDAIconnect this year – fundamentals, equity and inclusion, probation transformation and family and youth engagement.Listen to the episode to hear Nate’s “WHY”, to hear him unpack “constructive dissatisfaction”, and to hear his hopes for the podcast platform. Nate also gives a special shout-out to Catherine Horejes and Raquel Mariscal. You'll have to listen to find out why!Nate references Transforming Probation: A Vision for Getting it Right and a video from the first day of the 21-Day Equity Habit-Building Challenge, What is Your Why.Nate is the Director of the Juvenile Justice Strategy Group at The Annie E. Casey Foundation. You can learn more about Nate from his profile on the Casey Foundation’s website and through his “On Location” series on JDAIconnect. On Location with Nate Balis, Season 2 (2018)On Location with Nate Balis, Season 1 (2017) Part 1On Location with Nate Balis, Season 1 (2017) Part 2On Location with Nate Balis, Season 1 (2017) Part 3 Looking forward to your comments and suggestion about the podcast.We hope you enjoy Episode 1 of These Are Our Kids: A Podcast for JDAIconnect.

JDAIconnect is an online platform for all those interested in youth justice reform. The platform is rich with resources, discussions, and trainings. This podcast shares the voices of those on the frontline of youth justice reform, and offers advice and inspiration for others engaged in this work. Season One will premier in January of 2019 with 7 sessions. The episodes will be hosted by Beth Oprisch and Auri Whitaker, Hope you will listen with us.