James Anderson Retires as JCJC Executive Director




 
James E. Anderson is the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission.  In this capacity, he is responsible for the administration of all aspects of the Commission’s comprehensive juvenile justice programs, including the operations of the Commission’s Center for Juvenile Justice Training and Research at Shippensburg University.
 
Mr. Anderson is Pennsylvania’s primary state-level expert on matters relating to juvenile justice and juvenile court systems.  In this capacity, Mr. Anderson is the principal point of contact regarding these matters for Pennsylvania’s juvenile court judges, juvenile probation administrators, and the General Assembly.  He holds a Master of Arts in Criminology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (1975), where he also earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Criminology (1972).
 
Mr. Anderson began his career as a probation officer with the Elk County Probation Department in July 1972, and was promoted to Chief Probation Officer in February 1973.  He served as Chief Probation Officer for the 59th Judicial District (Elk and Cameron Counties) from December 1974 until January 1978, when he accepted the position of Juvenile Justice Planner with the Northwest Regional Planning Council of the Governor’s Justice Commission.  Mr. Anderson joined the staff of the Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission in May 1978, as the Commission’s Legislative Consultant.  He was appointed Coordinator of Policy Development in 1981, promoted to Deputy Director in 1983, and appointed as Executive Director of the Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission in 1986.
 
During his career with the Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission, Mr. Anderson has been actively involved in every major legislative issue affecting Pennsylvania’s juvenile justice, juvenile court,  or child welfare systems, including his development of legislative proposals that were enacted as amendments to Pennsylvania’s Juvenile Act or other statutes in 1980, 1986, 1991, 1995, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014.  The Commission’s legislative program, directed by Mr. Anderson, has twice been recognized as the Nation’s “Outstanding Juvenile Legislation Program” by the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. Mr. Anderson is a frequent lecturer and trainer on topics related to juvenile justice policy, balanced and restorative justice, and legislative advocacy.

Mr. Anderson developed the language contained in Act 33 of Special Session No. 1 of 1995 that redefined the mission of Pennsylvania’s juvenile justice system around the principles of balanced and restorative justice.  Pennsylvania was the first state to adopt such legislation, which gives priority to repairing the harm done to crime victims and communities, and defines offender accountability in terms of assuming responsibility and taking action to repair harm.  At least 22 other states have enacted similar legislation based on the Pennsylvania model.
 
Mr. Anderson is a member of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) and serves as Vice-chair of PCCD’s Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Committee.  He also serves on several of PCCD’s other advisory committees and on the Steering Committee for the Commonwealth’s Justice Network (JNET), an integrated justice information system that has standardized information and communications technology across Pennsylvania’s justice and justice-related agencies. Mr. Anderson is an ex offcio member of the Juvenile Court Procedural Rules Committee and served from 2009 to 2011 as Pennsylvania’s representative on the Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice, the responsibilities of which include advising the President and Congress with regard to state perspectives on federal legislation pertaining to juvenile justice and delinquency prevention.
 
  • In March 2005, he received the inaugural M. James Toner Award from the National Juvenile Court Services Association in recognition of a lifetime of outstanding service to the juvenile justice community.
  •  In October 2005, he was honored by the Juvenile Law Center (JLC) for his steadfast pursuit of justice, and as the most influential juvenile justice leader during the thirty years since the founding of the JLC.
     
  • In December 2008, Mr. Anderson was recognized by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation as one of four inaugural Champions for Change in conjunction with their national Models for Change juvenile justice reform initiative.
     
  • In March 2012, He was the recipient of the Middle Atlantic States Correctional Association’s Founders Award in recognition of his exceptional efforts to promote professionalism in the criminal justice field.
     
  • In July 2012, Mr. Anderson received the President’s Award from the Pennsylvania Conference of State Trial Judges in recognition of his lifetime achievements on behalf of Pennsylvania’s juvenile court system.