CJCC Chair and Director Training Academy

A Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) is a cross-sector body of justice, government, and community stakeholders that convenes to identify system challenges and coordinate strategies to improve local criminal justice system performance. When a CJCC is well organized, it provides a structure for shared direction, informed decision-making, and sustained action across agencies. When a council lacks a clear purpose, usable data, and strong operating practices, it can become a series of perfunctory meetings rather than a working forum for problem-solving and progress.

The CJCC Chair and Director Academy is a pilot training designed for chairs and directors to attend as a team from the same jurisdiction. The academy focuses on the core elements that make coordinating councils effective: establishing and sustaining a clear vision and mission; building strong operating practices (including bylaws and member engagement); conducting productive meetings that lead to decisions and follow-through; using data to monitor system health and set priorities; engaging the community in ways that strengthen credibility; and developing strategic plans that keep the council focused on achievable outcomes.

Participants will leave with practical tools and approaches that can be adapted to local context, including methods for strengthening council structure, setting clear expectations for committees and workgroups, using standing system key performance indicators to monitor trends over time, and turning meeting time into action. The academy also supports peer learning, giving CJCC leaders an opportunity to learn from other jurisdictions facing similar challenges and to exchange realistic strategies that work in practice.

The goals of the training are to:

• Strengthen CJCC operations so meetings are purposeful, efficient, and decision oriented.
• Improve alignment with the National Standards and Essential Elements for CJCCs.
• Build CJCC capacity to use data to monitor system performance and guide priorities over time.
• Strengthen CJCC action planning so priorities translate into results.
• Support meaningful community engagement that strengthens CJCC credibility and effectiveness.
• Build a peer network of CJCC chairs and directors for continued learning and support.

Program Format and Participation

The academy is delivered primarily in person, with limited pre-training requirements to prepare participants for the on-site sessions. Participants complete self-guided pre-work and join a virtual orientation session in advance of the in-person training. The on-site training includes facilitated instruction, guided discussion, and applied exercises that help each chair and director team assess current operations and identify practical improvements. A post-training virtual check-in will occur several weeks after the in-person training is completed.

There are no prerequisites beyond participating as a chair and director team from an established CJCC. The training includes 21 hours of in-person classroom instruction, 2 hours of virtual instruction, and 4 hours of self-guided pre-work.

Five jurisdictions with established CJCCs will be selected to participate in the pilot training. The in-person training sessions will be held in Aurora, Colorado over two and a half days. Two instructors with subject matter expertise on CJCCs and the National Standards will deliver the training.