MARK FERRANTE NAMED NATIONAL JUVENILE JUSTICE SPECIALIST
FOR COALITION FOR JUVENILE JUSTICE

WASHINGTON D.C. - Longtime Juvenile Justice Commission (JJC) program administrator, Mark Ferrante, has been selected to serve as National Juvenile Justice Specialist for the Coalition for Juvenile Justice (CJJ). Ferrante is resident of Hamilton Township, Mercer County.

The CJJ, based in Washington, D.C., is a national non-profit association comprising governor-appointed advisory groups on juvenile justice from the 50 states, territories and the District of Columbia. CJJ was founded in 1978 and serves as a national resource on delinquency prevention and juvenile justice issues. CJJ helps build safe communities one child at a time by ensuring that children and families are treated fairly and given the resources and support to be positive and productive members of society.

As National Juvenile Justice Specialist, Mr. Ferrante serves as a non-voting member of the Coalition's National Steering Committee and as a liaison for the other Specialists to the federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP).

"The New Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission is proud that Mark Ferrante has received this recognition and this vote of trust by his peers from throughout the country," said Howard L. Beyer, Executive Director, Juvenile Justice Commission. "Mark Ferrante will not only continue to represent New Jersey, but juvenile justice professionals nationwide, in order to help juveniles and their families, who may otherwise be forgotten, receive the tools and support they need to turn their lives around and succeed."

"I look forward to working collaboratively with all states and territories in advancing best practices for juvenile justice policy and planning. I look am grateful for the opportunity to be a national voice for the Juvenile Justice Specialists within the CJJ and with other leaders in the field of juvenile justice," said Ferrante.

Ferrante currently serves as the JJC's Assistant Director for Program Development and Prevention Services. He began is career serving youth in 1985 in the Department of Human Services, Mercer County, New Jersey, where he ultimately reached the title of Chief of Youth Services in 1996. In September, 2000, he accepted the position of Juvenile Justice Specialist for the JJC. He has served on CJJ's Board of Editors and Strategic Planning Committee for the past five years. Ferrante is a frequent presenter at statewide and national conferences on juvenile justice issues. Ferrante graduated from Rider University, Lawrenceville, NJ and received a Certificate of Completion from the Education for Ministry Program in 1996.

Ferrante was elected to this position at the CJJ's annual meeting in 2005. His two-year term began on January 1, 2006.

For more information on the JJC, please visit www.njjjc.com