- Preferred Name, Title, and How Many Years You’ve Worked with CIYJ?
Katie Kenney, Superintendent Stevenson House Detention Center, I have worked for the Division of Youth Rehabilitative Services for over 17 years and I have worked with the Center for Improving Youth Justice (CIYJ) for 12 years.
- What is the most rewarding aspect of your role?
I find one of the most rewarding aspects of my job is constantly striving for improvement. I enjoy taking new initiatives and ideas and working to implement them successfully in our facility. This includes gaining valuable insight from staff and residents while adjusting ideas to operate within our framework. It is always interesting and challenging to work and rework different initiatives and be able firsthand to watch improvements and positive change within the facility. As our population dynamics change, we must be fluid with how we approach our role within the juvenile justice system.
- Looking back over the past 2 decades, what do you consider the be CIYJ’s most impactful contributions to the youth justice space?
It has been exciting to watch the changes over the past 2 decades and see how reforms in juvenile justice have focused on positive reinforcement and rehabilitation. The data received from CIYJ can be so helpful in looking at the direction of the facility and help understand where to focus for further improvement. It truly allows us to constantly challenge ourselves and to find different ways for enhancement.
- Can you share a particularly poignant success story, milestone, or impactful moment that CIYJ has achieved during your tenure with us?
I would have to say that although CIYJ has provided many milestones, the most impactful has been the Barbara Allen-Hagen Award. My facility was fortunate to receive this award in 2019. I believe this is such an opportunity to focus on specific areas within programming in your facility and allow for growth and change. Annually, this is a goal for us and helps us remain focused on our mission and what matters for the lives of our residents. I particularly enjoy seeing submissions from other facilities and all of the great work done in so many different states.
- What message would you like to convey to our supporters, partners, and advocates as CIYJ celebrates this significant anniversary?
I would like to offer a huge congratulations to 20 years of incredible work. It has truly been an honor to be part of this journey and to witness so many examples in so many various facilities and states of positive movement within this field. I have firsthand been able to see positive impacts in my own facility as well as being able to use information and data provided to move us forward. It is clear through the work that is done that CIYJ is focused on advancement and forward momentum.
- What inspired you to pursue a career dedicated to youth justice?
I have always felt strongly that it is possible to make an impact on a young adult’s life no matter what their individual situation might be. I believe that we are able to provide insight and hope to all of the young people we come in contact with on some level. Although more times than not, we do not see the impact that we had, it always keeps me moving forward simply knowing that I have done the best I can to improve someone’s situation. It inspires me to see the impact that our positive work has on the young lives we come in contact with and to be able to witness firsthand the influence that our facility has on individuals.