A lot of us did some questionable things as teenagers, like drinking alcohol, doing drugs, and shoplifting. We’re likely not proud of these moments, but they happened, and we moved on. For some of us though, this normal adolescent boundary-testing can lead to involvement in the juvenile justice system, which is ripe with racial disparities and poor results. Nate Balis, Director of the Juvenile Justice Strategy Group at the Annie E. Casey Foundation, talks with host Maya Rupert about reframing how we think about youth crime, the need for effective solutions that actually promote community safety, and how much young people need adults in their corner.

This episode was made possible with support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, an organization that develops solutions to build a brighter future for children, youth, families and communities. Learn more at aecf.org.

A lot of us did some questionable things as teenagers, like drinking alcohol, doing drugs, and shoplifting. We&rsquo;re likely not proud of these moments, but they happened, and we moved on. For some of us though, this normal adolescent boundary-testing can lead to involvement in the juvenile justice system, which is ripe with racial disparities and poor results. Nate Balis, Director of the Juvenile Justice Strategy Group at the Annie E. Casey Foundation, talks with host Maya Rupert about reframing how we think about youth crime, the need for effective solutions that actually promote community safety, and how much young people need adults in their corner.
This episode was made possible with support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, an organization that develops solutions to build a brighter future for children, youth, families and communities. Learn more at <a href="http://aecf.org">aecf.org</a>.

Good Things from Lemonada Media is a podcast about the good people in the world who are rolling up their sleeves and working hard to make things better. Each week, we'll be talking about this country's most complex and confounding issues in an effort to affect systemic change, with a rotating cast of incredible guests and Lemonada hosts. From the dire condition of the American foster care system to the decline of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives, protecting democracy, and more, we’re focusing on solutions – with the people putting them into action.

Good Things from Lemonada Media is a podcast about the good people in the world who are rolling up their sleeves and working hard to make things better. Each week, we'll be talking about this country's most complex and confounding issues in an effort to affect systemic change, with a rotating cast of incredible guests and Lemonada hosts. From the dire condition of the American foster care system to the decline of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives, protecting democracy, and more, we’re focusing on solutions – with the people putting them into action.

Good Things from Lemonada

Juvenile Justice: Rethinking Youth Crime

Climate solutions aren’t out of reach. They’re already here, and California is leading the way. In 2025, the state hit a historic milestone: for more than 200 days, its grid hit 100 percent clean energy, often for hours at a time, making it the largest economy in the world to reach this goal. In this episode, host Gloria Riviera speaks with Mary Creasman, CEO of California Environmental Voters, about the state’s race toward total clean energy by 2045, what this transformation means for tackling wildfires, flooding and droughts, and how we can all push politics toward climate solutions that work. 

This episode was made in partnership with California Environmental Voters. To learn more about their work, visit envirovoters.org. 

Climate solutions aren&rsquo;t out of reach. They&rsquo;re already here, and California is leading the way. In 2025, the state hit a historic milestone: for more than 200 days, its grid hit 100 percent clean energy, often for hours at a time, making it the largest economy in the world to reach this goal. In this episode, host Gloria Riviera speaks with Mary Creasman, CEO of California Environmental Voters, about the state&rsquo;s race toward total clean energy by 2045, what this transformation means for tackling wildfires, flooding and droughts, and how we can all push politics toward climate solutions that work.&nbsp;
This episode was made in partnership with California Environmental Voters. To learn more about their work, visit envirovoters.org.&nbsp;

How California Is Proving Climate Solutions Are Possible

What if the people best suited to transform the justice system are the ones who know what it's like to live inside of it? In prisons across the country, incarcerated organizers have long fought for policy change, but they’ve rarely had the resources to communicate with the outside world and stay up-to-date on current events. In this episode, host Maya Rupert speaks with James King, Director of Programs at the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, about how the organization is changing that through their Inside/Outside Policy Fellowship. Now in its fifth year, the program pairs incarcerated Inside Fellows with formerly incarcerated Outside Fellows to lead system reform together. In working to shape campaigns like the California Racial Justice Act, and ensuring that incarcerated fellows are fairly compensated for their work, Fellows are transforming both the system and their own lives.

This episode is created in partnership with Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies. 

Learn more about the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights at ellabakercenter.org.

What if the people best suited to transform the justice system are the ones who know what it's like to live inside of it? In prisons across the country, incarcerated organizers have long fought for policy change, but they&rsquo;ve rarely had the resources to communicate with the outside world and stay up-to-date on current events. In this episode, host Maya Rupert speaks with James King, Director of Programs at the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, about how the organization is changing that through their Inside/Outside Policy Fellowship. Now in its fifth year, the program pairs incarcerated Inside Fellows with formerly incarcerated Outside Fellows to lead system reform together. In working to shape campaigns like the California Racial Justice Act, and ensuring that incarcerated fellows are fairly compensated for their work, Fellows are transforming both the system and their own lives.
This episode is created in partnership with Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies.&nbsp;
Learn more about the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights at <a href="http://ellabakercenter.org">ellabakercenter.org</a>.

Bright Spots: How Incarcerated Organizers Are Leading Policy Change

Across the country, kids in the juvenile justice system face a hidden burden: fines and fees that can follow them well into adulthood, affecting their credit, education, and ability to get a job. In this episode, host Maya Rupert speaks with Cameron D. Clark, Co-Coordinator of Debt Free Justice, about their work to eliminate fines and fees placed on youth and their families. In partnership with local communities, Debt Free Justice works to transform the system in states like Hawaii, where youth organizers are advocating for Native Hawaiian accountability practices instead of financial punishment. Through it all, Debt Free Justice is showing us what's possible when we replace punitive fines and fees with real opportunities for growth and accountability.

This episode is created in partnership with Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies. Learn more about Debt Free Justice at debtfreejustice.org

Across the country, kids in the juvenile justice system face a hidden burden: fines and fees that can follow them well into adulthood, affecting their credit, education, and ability to get a job. In this episode, host Maya Rupert speaks with Cameron D. Clark, Co-Coordinator of Debt Free Justice, about their work to eliminate fines and fees placed on youth and their families. In partnership with local communities, Debt Free Justice works to transform the system in states like Hawaii, where youth organizers are advocating for Native Hawaiian accountability practices instead of financial punishment. Through it all, Debt Free Justice is showing us what's possible when we replace punitive fines and fees with real opportunities for growth and accountability.
This episode is created in partnership with Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies. Learn more about Debt Free Justice at <a href="http://debtfreejustice.org">debtfreejustice.org</a>

Juvenile Justice: Rethinking Youth Crime

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