1. Preferred Name, Title, and How Many Years You’ve Worked with CIYJ
Lauresa Hart, Community Transitions Administrator, worked with CIYJ for three years.
2. What is the most challenging aspect of your role? What aspect is the most rewarding? (Feel free to address either or both questions.)
Most rewarding aspect of this role has been to bring the community supervision standards to Juvenile Rehabilitation and now all three areas of our system are involved in CIYJ’s Performance-based Standards.
3. Looking back over the past two decades, what do you consider to be CIYJ’s most impactful contributions to the youth justice space?
Staying consistent with the message that we treat young people like one of our own keeps us focused on ensuring anything we do is for their betterment.
4. Can you share a particularly poignant success story, milestone, or impactful moment that CIYJ has achieved during your tenure with us?
At this year’s Agency Coordinators Training, I met a young man who had just been released from residential placement, was getting his first apartment and was starting his journey of reentry. It was a powerful story he shared, and his smile was endless. That excitement and sense of pride he displayed and his gratitude for the staff who supported him is the exact reason we are here. It gives me hope that we are on the right track.
5. What message would you like to convey to our supporters, partners, and advocates as CIYJ celebrates this significant anniversary?
These young people are our future. We are their teachers and mentors. It’s a privilege to have this opportunity to help shape the next generation.
6. What inspired you to pursue a career dedicated to youth justice?
Giving back. I had a few key adults in my life growing up who helped me when I most needed it, even when I didn’t realize it at the time. I know the power of a consistent, trusting, and caring adult.