University of New Mexico and First Judicial District Attorney’s Office Awarded Institutional Challenge Grant
Santa Fe, NM — The First Judicial District Attorney’s Office is proud to announce it has been selected as one of only four winners nationwide of the prestigious William T. Grant Foundation Institutional Challenge Grant. This competitive award supports research-practice partnerships between research institutions and public agencies that seek to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in youth outcomes. The University of New Mexico and the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office partnership is led by a multidisciplinary team of faculty, graduate students, and researchers. Dr. Jennifer Perillo, associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Sociology Department Chair Lisa Broidy, and Jennifer Padgett Macias, Managing Chief Deputy District Attorney, received the grant to support their work on youth and young adult diversion in an area covering Santa Fe, Los Alamos and Rio Arriba Counties. The award also aims to enhance recognition, support, and resources for community-engaged scholarships at UNM.
Padgett Macias started the collaboration with UNM in 2020 to build out a team of community partners. Funding from the grant will allow expansion and the ability to evaluate and refine it. The FJDA is partnering with community-based organizations such as Moving Arts Española to implement a prosecutor-led diversion program for youth and young adults called PIVOT: Promoting Innovative and Vital Opportunities. These partnerships will focus on creating supportive, restorative pathways that steer young people away from the justice system and toward opportunities that nurture their growth, well-being, and potential.
The FJDA is serious about holding youth accountable in cases involving violent crime and also recognizes the importance of creating positive pathways that offer young people meaningful opportunities for growth and to reduce criminal justice system involvement. This deflection and diversion initiative provides a powerful alternative, engaging youth in positive programming that can help them thrive and excel in life.
“This program is not just about keeping kids out of court but rather meeting them where they are, offering creative solutions, and honoring the cultural strengths in our communities,” said Jailyn Dominguez, Pre-Prosecution Diversion Director and Children’s Court Assistant. “We look forward to working hand-in-hand with our partners to create lasting change for them to become responsible citizens.”
“This project, and the evidence base it will build, can help the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office make a strong case for the value of youth diversion as a powerful intervention for reducing youth crime and violence while also providing key supports for at-risk youth. While the national evidence base supports this, local evidence is more compelling to policymakers and community advocates who represent our local communities. Moreover, the evidence base we build can help clarify the population of at-risk youth most likely to benefit from diversion programs and the risks and needs that facilitate their success,” said Perillo and Broidy, at the University of New Mexico, and Padgett Macias, at the State of New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
The grant supports long-term collaboration with research partners and community organizations to design, implement, and evaluate programs that keep youth out of the criminal legal system. The First Judicial District Attorney’s Office is grateful to FJDA Deputy Chief Padgett Macias, former Executive Director of NM Sentencing Commission Linda Freeman who is working alongside FJDA as Program Director and Perillo of the University of New Mexico for their vision and leadership in securing this transformative grant.
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