Stories of change among justice-involved American Indian youth

Understanding what helps justice-involved American Indian (AI) youth to make positive changes in their lives and end or reduce their involvement in the tribal juvenile justice system is important for developing effective supports. This report presents perspectives on personal change among justice-involved AI youth who participated in the Tribal Juvenile Detention and Reentry Green Demonstration (“Green Reentry”) programs in three tribes funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). We briefly summarize past research on risk and protective factors for ongoing justice-system involvement among AI youth; describe the Green Reentry initiative; and present the perspectives of youth, parents, and program staff and stakeholders on experiences of personal change among participating youth.