ABOUT JASON SMITH:
Jason Smith is the Executive Director of the Michigan Center for Youth Justice (MCYJ) and has dedicated his career to transforming the juvenile justice system. Before coming to MCYJ, Jason worked directly with system-involved youth and families in the field of social work—experiences that shaped his advocacy for policy reform.
Under his leadership, MCYJ has played a key role in advancing major reforms, including raising the age of juvenile court jurisdiction to 17, eliminating most juvenile court fines and fees, and strengthening confidentiality protections for juvenile records.
He was a voting member of the Juvenile Justice Reform Task Force formed by Gov. Whitmer that led to the passage of the 2023 Justice for Kids and Communities legislative reforms. He was also first appointed to the Michigan Committee on Juvenile Justice in 2020 and will be chairman of the committee’s next term, starting in August 2026.
RESOURCES:
Michigan Center for Youth Justice (MCYJ)
TRANSCRIPTION:
Decky Alexander: This is 89.1 WEMU, and welcome to our weekly conversation on equity and opportunity in our county and in our community. I'm your host, Decky Alexander, and I'm honored, still and always, to welcome you to this week's edition of Washenaw United. When we think about a just society, we often think about laws, courts, and consequences. But what if we look at it through a humanist lens? True justice isn't about punishment. It's about recognizing the inherent dignity and infinite potential of every single human being. And nowhere is that test more critical than in how we treat our youth. When a young person makes a mistake, do we respond with disinvestment in policies that criminalize those actions, or do we see those mistakes as possibilities for growth, healing and transformation? Our guest today has spent his career ensuring that Michigan chooses the path of growth over criminalization. Under his leadership, the Michigan Center for Youth Justice has championed tectonic shifts that are reshaping youth justice to build a stronger and more compassionate future for generations to come. Welcome Jason Smith, Executive Director of the Michigan Center for Youth Justice, also known as MCYJ. We are so honored to have you here, Jason!
Jason Smith: Oh, thank you so much for having me! It's an honor to be here!
Decky Alexander: Wonderful! All right, so let's begin at the foundation. What is the mission of MCYJ?
Jason Smith: So, the Michigan Center for Youth Justice, our mission is to work toward a fair and effective justice system for all Michigan's children, youth and young adults. We want to see young people thrive. If they could get in contact with the justice system in some way, we want that involvement to be as short as possible but also be impactful and make sure that it does not cause harm and allow the young person to continue to thrive as they progress into adulthood.
Decky Alexander: Jason, much of this work in justice we know is deeply personal, often shaped by our own degrees of proximity to witnessing or experiencing inequity. So, what was your pathway into youth justice and what draws you to the mission of MCYJ?
Jason Smith: Yeah. So, I've been with Michigan Center for Youth Justice for...actually, this will be my twelve-year anniversary. I actually did an internship here in grad school as well, but all of my work, ever since leaving college, has been working in some way with around the issue of young people who are either involved with the juvenile justice system or at risk of becoming involved. Before working at MCYJ, I worked in various roles as the social worker, working directly with young people who were court-involved or at risk. And I always had an interest in doing more at the final level, at the policy level, to impact some of the the laws and regulations that drive how young people are treated when they come in contact with the justice system. And then, just as a youth myself, I think I was able to succeed and progress through life because I had supportive adults in my life and resources and a strong community that backed me, and I want to make sure that all young people have that same opportunity and those same connections and supports. And so, I think that really drives me in this work.
Decky Alexander: Well, then looking back over recent years, given the scope and breadth of your experience, what do you see as the most critical steps Michigan has taken toward building a more equitable youth justice system?
Jason Smith: So, we've seen a lot of really big shifts in the last six, seven years here in Michigan, huge reforms at the statewide level that impacted things, like treating 17-year-olds who come in contact with the law for the most part as young people. Before those reforms went into place in 2019, all 17-year-olds were prosecuted as adults in Michigan no matter what their offense, and we were one of the last states that did that. And so, I think that change raised the age. The praise used for the the campaign and the legislation that passed really kicked off an increased interest in the state Legislature and looking at juvenile justice and the policies that drive it. And since then, we've seen similar reforms going to effect that impacts young people, improving record confidentiality for kids who become involved with the juvenile justice system, so that once they complete their terms of probation and move on from court involvement that they can pursue careers and education without being held back by a record. Recently, in 2023, a slate of policies were put into effect that came out of the recommendations of a task force that Governor Whitmer established to look at a range of issues related to juvenile justice. I served on that task force. There were many more recommendations that still have not been implemented, but what was passed into law and are going into effect now or being implemented right now really are foundational changes that could lead to more improvements in the future but are transformation on their own right--things like changing the way that the state funding structure for youth justice works to incentivize the use of community-based programs and diversion when possible, which research shows has the best effect on young people, treatment-wise, because they're allowed to continue to maintain connections with positive support, their families, schools and so on, as opposed to using incarceration, detention, or longer-term residential placement for kids when it's not necessary. And also a reform that we were really proud of was changing, before the reform when it took effect, many families were assessed huge costs for juvenile justice involvement, fines and fees related to having a the public defender or being placed in detention or out-of-home placement and then also just talking to young people and families and juvenile court staff themselves.
Decky Alexander: You are listening to Washtenaw United on 89.1 WEMU. I'm Decky Alexander. And today, we're talking with Jason Smith, the executive director of the Michigan Center for Youth Justice, exploring transformational reforms for youth in the legal system. So, Jason, here at Eastern Michigan University, one of the programs I oversee and have the privilege of teaching is our College in Prison program. Housed at Women's Huron Valley Correctional Facility, my students there who study improvisation with me are some of the most present, inquisitive and highly inventive individuals I've ever met. And also at EMU, we also house multiple after-school programs for youth. And I often find myself looking at these brilliant women wondering, "What if they had access to some of those kind of supportive youth programs when they were younger? What if they have a robust diversion initiative had been there to meet them at the moment of that one choice?" So, from your vantage point, Jason, is there a particular diversion or detention alternative initiative you've seen that has the most profound, life-changing impact on youth it serves?
Jason Smith: Got to think about that. I don't know if there's like a specific one I'd like to pinpoint out. I mean, I think any program that addresses the particular issue that brought a young person in front of the justice system, whether it's at the beginning stages at the point of her like law enforcement contact or the juvenile court that addresses that root cause issue. There are kids that find their way into the legal system for issues related to substance abuse, issues related to school truancy, not attending school regularly, or even family dynamics or conflicts with their their parent or guardian. Any kind of program that really drills down and focuses on that to stem any kind of future issues, I think, is beneficial.
Decky Alexander: So, Jason, we've spent a lot of time in our interview talking about a lot of the reforms and the data and the policy, but at its core, this work is entirely about people. Is there, as we conclude, a specific story or an individual's experience that stays with you, that really exemplifies why these reforms are so profoundly necessary?
Jason Smith: I've talked to parents. Two moms I'm thinking of, in rural counties actually, that got their child involved with the justice system. They felt like it was the only way that they could be helped. And it seemed that actually it got worse from there, where they went to detention and out-of-home placement for things that were better relatively minor, not public safety risk issues. And once they were able to return home and receive quality treatment in their community that really fit their need that they started to see success. And when families keep in touch and share. You know, one young man I'm thinking of, his mother sent us prom pictures and showing that he's really doing well, and it was a result of just, again, quality treatment and intervention happening at home that helped him thrive. That really excites me and pushes us to continue in this work.
Decky Alexander: That was Jason Smith, Executive Director of the Michigan Center for Youth Justice to learn more about their work swing by our website at WEMU.org. Washtenaw United is produced in partnership with the United Way for Southeastern Michigan, and you can hear it right here every Monday. I'm Decky Alexander, and this is your community NPR Station, 89.1 WEMU, Ypsilanti.
WEMU has partnered with the United Way for Southeastern Michigan to explore the people, organizations, and institutions creating opportunity and equity in our area. And, as part of this ongoing series, you’ll also hear from the people benefiting and growing from the investments being made in the areas of our community where there are gaps in available services. It is a community voice. It is 'Washtenaw United.'
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