The national Coalition for Juvenile Justice (CJJ) announced the 2009 Spirit of Youth Award winner – the Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s (DJJDP’s) own Micheal Cox. CJJ is a coalition of State Advisory Groups, Members at Large and other juvenile justice allies which I served as a former national chair of.
The prestigious Spirit of Youth Award is given annually by CJJ to recognize and celebrate a young adult, under the age of 28, who has made great strides through involvement with the juvenile justice system, overcome personal obstacles and is today making significant contributions to society. The Spirit of Youth Award also provides CJJ and the public with an important opportunity to learn from a young person's direct experience about the hard work and dedication it takes to build a better life, and how juvenile justice professionals and systems can most effectively be of help. Micheal will receive an all-expenses paid trip to Alexandria, VA on May 3-4, 2009 to receive his award at a recognition luncheon, and to be recognized by the Coalition.
Micheal who was once served by the juvenile justice system in North Carolina is now giving back as an employee of the Department. Today, Micheal is working on a project to address Dispropionate Minority Contact (DMC) with the juvenile justice system. This project is using the “Race Matters Toolkit” developed by the Annie E Casey Foundation to help communities address the root causes of DMC. All too often we hear about the cases of how the juvenile justice system was incapable of turning a young person’s life around, Micheal is a shining example of the many successes achieved everyday by the hardworking professional of the Department and community volunteers.
I along with my Chief Operating Officer and current Chair of CJJ Dr. Robin Jenkins, and all of the staff and volunteers of DJJDP, congratulate Micheal on his tremendous accomplishments and look forward to even better news of his success in the future. Way to go Micheal!!!