Citizens for Juvenile Justice

What Citizens for Juvenile Justice does

Citizens for Juvenile Justice (CfJJ) is a Boston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1994 that operates as the only independent, statewide organization in Massachusetts exclusively dedicated to reforming the juvenile justice and youth-serving systems. Its functional mandate combines legislative advocacy, community engagement, coalition convening, data-driven research, and public education aimed at reducing youth incarceration, eliminating racial and ethnic disparities, and disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline. CfJJ serves youth involved with or at risk of involvement in the juvenile justice system, including DCF-involved crossover youth, LGBTQ youth in child welfare, students subject to exclusionary discipline, and their families, while engaging Massachusetts policymakers, legislators, and system stakeholders as a secondary audience.

CfJJ's core product surface comprises educational training and information sessions, a portfolio of research reports (the Data Points series, Arrested Futures, Missed Opportunities, Unlocking Potential, Hidden Costs, We Are The Prey, and municipal analyses), interactive Tableau Public dashboards on school discipline and juvenile justice trends, the Multisystem Youth Project, the Race Equity Partnership Program, and the convening of two statewide coalitions (the Massachusetts Juvenile Justice Reform Coalition and the MA Alliance for DCF-Impacted LGBTQ Youth). The underlying technology is limited to public Tableau visualization on top of state administrative data; no proprietary software platform is developed or sold.

The organization is funded through a mix of foundation grants (Annie E. Casey Foundation, Bess Family, Hyams, Nellie Mae, Schott, Windhover, and others), corporate sponsorships (Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation, Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Latham & Watkins, Morgan Lewis, Nutter McClennen & Fish), individual donations collected via BetterWorld, and recurring organizational membership dues paid by a 12-member coalition. Distribution is delivered through direct community engagement, coalition convening, media appearances, op-eds, and public events including the annual Leadership Celebration, Falmouth Road Race team, charity golf tournament, and Raise the Age Lobby Day. CfJJ operates from a single Boston headquarters with approximately 8 paid staff and a roster of unpaid interns.

Name

Citizens for Juvenile Justice

Legal name

Citizens for Juvenile Justice

Website

https://cfjj.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Citizens for Juvenile Justice is a Boston-based nonprofit founded in 1994 that advocates and conducts research to reform Massachusetts's juvenile justice and youth-serving systems, reducing youth incarceration, racial disparities, and the school-to-prison pipeline through research, coalition convening, and legislative advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Juvenile Justice Policy Advocacy

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Criminal Justice Reform & Legal System Advocacy (BPAGAFAI), Juvenile Justice System (Courts & Detention) (BPAIAFAF), Court/Community School Programs (Diversion, Probation-Linked, Community Day Schools) (EDAJAEAI)

Keywords

• Juvenile justice reform
• Youth advocacy services
• Policy reform research
• Coalition building services
• Nonprofit advocacy services

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants: CfJJ receives grants from foundations including Bess Family Foundation, Gardiner Howland Shaw Foundation, The Hyams Foundation, Nellie Mae Education Foundation, New Commonwealth Racial Equity and Social Justice Fund, Pine Lodge Charitable Fund, Schott Foundation for Public Education, Windhover Foundation, and Annie E. Casey Foundation. The organization was also selected as a 2017 Social Innovator by the Boston Social Innovation Forum.
2. Individual Donations: A significant portion of CfJJ's support comes from individual donors who contribute via credit card (through BetterWorld) or cash/check.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate donors include Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation, Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Latham and Watkins, Morgan Lewis, and Nutter, McClennen and Fish.
4. Organizational Membership Dues: CfJJ generates revenue through organizational membership fees. Current organizational members include Adolescent Consultation Services, Children's Law Center of Massachusetts, Communities for People, Community Resources for Justice, Justice Resource Institute, The Key Program, New England Community Services, Parent/Professional Advocacy League, Roca, Roxbury Youthworks, UTEC, and Youth Villages.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Citizens for Juvenile Justice is an independent, statewide non-profit organization in Massachusetts that conducts research, policy advocacy, community training, and coalition building focused exclusively on reforming the juvenile justice and youth-serving systems. Its core work product includes data-driven research reports, public Tableau dashboards, tailored training sessions for youth, parents, and community organizers, legislative advocacy campaigns such as Raise the Age, and convening the Massachusetts Juvenile Justice Reform Coalition.

Product overview

Citizens for Juvenile Justice operates as a policy advocacy and research organization (not a technology product company) offering a portfolio of programs including educational training sessions, public data visualization tools via Tableau, research publications, coalition convening through the Massachusetts Coalition for Juvenile Justice Reform, the Race Equity Partnership Program, Multisystem Youth Project, and internship programs. The core offerings center on advocacy training, data analysis, research reports, and coalition building rather than a unified software product platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Trainings and Information Sessions Program Educational training program offering customizable sessions on juvenile justice topics including JJ 101, racial disparities, school-to-prison pipeline, trauma, school discipline advocacy, special education law, police encounters, and civil rights for youth, parents, and community organizers.
• Statewide School Discipline Tableau Dashboard Interactive data visualization tool analyzing school discipline data across Massachusetts districts, segmented by race, ethnicity, gender, disability status, and English learner status.
• Tableau Public Data Visualizations Public-facing Tableau dashboards providing trend analysis on child welfare, juvenile justice, and criminal justice trajectories, along with court involvement outcomes for policymakers.
• Research Reports and Publications Comprehensive research reports including Arrested Futures, Data Points series, Missed Opportunities, Unlocking Potential, and municipal-specific analyses examining juvenile justice outcomes and disparities.
• Multisystem Youth Project Initiative addressing crossover youth who are involved with both child welfare and juvenile justice systems, providing data analysis, advocacy, and policy recommendations to prevent cross-system involvement.
• Massachusetts Coalition for Juvenile Justice Reform Statewide coalition convening 12+ organizations to advocate for legal system reforms preventing unnecessary youth involvement, promoting healthier outcomes, and advancing transparency and equity.
• Race Equity Partnership Program Year-long organizational assessment and action program helping youth-serving agencies implement race equity principles through policy improvement and training.
• Massachusetts Alliance for DCF-Impacted LGBTQ Youth Statewide network of advocates, youth, and allies working to address systemic issues facing LGBTQ youth involved with the Massachusetts child welfare system, launched in partnership with GLAD.

Quantifiable outcome

• Black students accounted for up to 47% of school-based arrests despite being 18-19% of Springfield school population (2017-2022 data)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Boston CelticsflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 November 2023The Boston Celtics partnered with CfJJ on the Raise the Age campaign, including a public campaign launch at the November 10, 2023 game where players wore Raise the Age t-shirts and Jaylen Brown spoke about the legislation. CfJJ's Executive Director Leon Smith received the 'Hero Among Us' award. On January 31, 2024, Celtics players including Jaylen Brown met with MA legislative leadership at the State House to discuss Raise the Age.
• Massachusetts Budget and Policy CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014CfJJ partnered with the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center on the 'Unlocking Potential' report (2014) examining overuse of juvenile detention, and on the 'Missed Opportunities' report (2015) examining crossover youth. MassBudget provided budget analysis and fiscal context, while CfJJ contributed policy and systems analysis.
• ACLU of Massachusetts / ACLU Racial Justice ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012CfJJ co-authored the landmark 'Arrested Futures' report in partnership with the ACLU of Massachusetts and the Racial Justice Program of the ACLU's National Legal Department, examining school-based arrests in Boston, Springfield, and Worcester. This partnership leveraged CfJJ's data expertise with the ACLU's legal advocacy capacity.
• National Juvenile Justice NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCfJJ is a member of the National Juvenile Justice Network, a membership-led organization that supports and enhances the work of state-based juvenile justice advocates across the United States. This membership provides CfJJ with access to national best practices, peer networks, and shared resources for state-level reform efforts.
• Massachusetts Juvenile Justice Reform CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCfJJ convenes the Massachusetts Juvenile Justice Reform Coalition, a statewide coalition of organizations advocating for reforms to prevent unnecessary youth legal system involvement, promote healthier outcomes for system-involved youth, and advance transparency and equity. Coalition members include 12 organizational members.
• GLAD (GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCfJJ launched the statewide Massachusetts Alliance for DCF-Impacted LGBTQ Youth in partnership with GLAD, to address the state of emergency facing LGBTQ youth involved with the Massachusetts child welfare system. The two organizations work together on policy, advocacy, and resource development for this vulnerable population.
• Boston Social Innovation ForumminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCfJJ was selected to participate in the Boston Social Innovation Forum's 2017 Class of Social Innovators, providing visibility, networking, and support for the organization's reform work.
• Chapter 222 CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCfJJ partners with the Chapter 222 Coalition, an alliance of educational advocates and attorneys, on issues of school discipline, child welfare referrals, and advocacy for students with disabilities — particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Justice Policy Institute: Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that produces research and policy analysis on juvenile and adult criminal justice reform. Directly comparable to CfJJ's research-and-advocacy model, publishing reports that drive state-level juvenile justice policy discussions.
• Campaign for Youth Justice: National nonprofit focused on ending the prosecution, incarceration, and placement of youth in the adult criminal justice system. Highly comparable to CfJJ's Raise the Age and emerging adult justice work, with similar coalition-driven, state-level reform strategy.
• Impact Justice: California-based national innovation and research nonprofit focused on reducing incarceration and advancing racial equity in juvenile and criminal justice. Comparable to CfJJ in combining research, advocacy, and direct program innovation in juvenile justice reform.
• Center for Children's Law and Policy: National nonprofit focused on reforming juvenile justice and child welfare systems, particularly reducing racial and ethnic disparities. Closely aligned with CfJJ's Multisystem Youth Project, race equity work, and crossover youth focus.
• Juvenile Law Center: Philadelphia-based national nonprofit legal and policy advocacy organization focused on juvenile and child welfare system reform. Directly comparable to CfJJ as a state-anchored (PA) juvenile justice advocacy and research nonprofit pursuing litigation, policy reform, and data-driven advocacy.

Broad incumbents

• Children's Defense Fund: National child advocacy organization with longstanding juvenile justice programming focused on racial equity and child welfare crossover. Comparable to CfJJ in mission and policy advocacy approach, with broader national scope.
• Vera Institute of Justice: National criminal justice research and policy organization that works on juvenile justice reform among other issues. Leon Smith previously worked at Vera, indicating strong methodological and mission alignment with CfJJ's research-driven advocacy model.
• Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights: National human rights advocacy organization with significant juvenile justice and racial justice programming. Comparable to CfJJ as a nonprofit using research, litigation, and policy advocacy to drive youth justice reform at scale.
• National Juvenile Justice Network: Membership-led national organization supporting state-based juvenile justice advocates (CfJJ is a member). Provides CfJJ with national coordination, peer learning, and best-practice sharing—comparable as the umbrella network in which CfJJ operates.

Regional players

• Texas Criminal Justice Coalition: Texas-based state-level advocacy nonprofit working on juvenile and adult criminal justice reform. Closely comparable to CfJJ as a statewide policy advocacy organization, though operating in a different (more conservative) political context.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cfjjma
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/cfjjma
• Facebookfacebook.com/citizensforjuvenilejustice
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/citizens-for-juvenile-justice
• Instagraminstagram.com/cfjjma

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Citizens for Juvenile Justice