The Children’s Court Improvement Commission’s Juvenile Justice Committee has embarked on an initiative to improve system functioning and outcomes for crossover youth – youth that crossover between the child welfare system and juvenile justice systems. The goal of the Crossover Youth Project (CYP) is to develop and implement an integrated infrastructure designed to increase the opportunities for crossover youth to achieve success.

Co-chairs: Alison B. Pauk, Assistant Public Defender, Albuquerque Juvenile Division and Nick J. Costales, Juvenile Justice Services, CYFD 

Priorities include:

• Crossover youth
• System transitions
• Expedite permanency
• Racial equity

The committee is committed to three guiding principles: 

• Be tenacious in seeking sufficient resources to conduct a meaningful assessment of overlap between the child welfare and juvenile justice systems;
• Create opportunities for collaboration between state and local entities; and
• Facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the unique experience crossover youth face due to their dual status in both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.

As the committee strives to develop initiatives designed to improve outcomes of New Mexico’s crossover youth your ideas, suggestions and support are welcomed and encouraged.  

NMCCIC’s Juvenile Justice Committee’s Definitions for

Youth Involved in Delinquency and Protective Services