ICPA2023-PID081 - Sandra McBrayer, Tim Hancock and Mike Dempsey

San Diego, California-Juvenile Justice Continuum of Care from Community Interventions to State of the Art Detention Facility

Authors

Sandra McBrayer

CEO, The Children's Initiative, United States

Sandra McBrayer is the Chief Executive Officer of the Children’s Initiative and an internationally known advocate for children, youth, and families. The Children’s Initiative is a nationally recognized child advocacy agency. The Initiative, through collaboration and partnerships with community leaders, organizations, and government agencies develops, enhances, and strengthens policies, programs, and projects supporting children and youth.
President Clinton named Ms. McBrayer the 1994 United States Teacher of the Year, and as such she served as a national education ambassador. Ms. McBrayer participates in national and international discussions and debates, addressing issues and concerns facing children and families.
Sandra has been instrumental in partnering with state and local government agencies and juvenile justice partners in transforming the San Diego County juvenile justice system from a punitive, correctional system, to one that emphasizes community-based interventions, alternatives to detention and detention facilities that are therapeutic and rehabilitative. She has been leading the charge to develop a system and facilities that are based on trauma informed care, positive youth development, evidence-based treatment, and youth and parent engagement.
Sandra has been appointed by the former California Governors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jerry Brown to chair the California State Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention, a federally mandated U.S. Department of Justice committee. She accepted appointments from both the previous governors and received senate confirmation to serve on the California Correction Standards Authority Board and chaired the California Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparity Committee.

Tim Hancock

Executive Director of Justice, Vanir, United States

Tim Hancock is a well-respected leader in the criminal justice system and currently serves as the Executive Director for Justice for Vanir. As the Executive Director for Justice for Vanir, Tim is responsible for overseeing the organization's mission to drive change and make a positive impact on the lives of individuals impacted by the criminal justice system, specifically with facilities. He is a staunch advocate for reform and is committed to working collaboratively with community members, stakeholders, and policymakers to create positive change.

Tim’s extensive career spans over 27 years. He retired in 2022 from the San Diego County Probation Department, where he held numerous leadership positions including several superintendent roles.

Throughout his career, Tim has been a driving force behind efforts to create a more trauma-informed, service-oriented, and community-friendly justice system. He oversaw the implementation of innovative programs that helped to improve outcomes for youth in the system. In his final years at the Probation Department, Tim led the development, design, and construction of the nationally recognized Youth Transition Campus (YTC) project. He worked closely with stakeholders and partners to secure funding and establish a clear direction for the project.

Mike Dempsey

Executive Director, CJJA, United States

Mike is CJJA’s Executive Director. He previously served as Executive Director of the Indiana Department of Corrections, Division of Youth Services from 2009 to 2015. He began his work with the Indiana Department of Corrections as Superintendent of the Pendleton Juvenile Correctional Facility in June 2006.
Prior to moving to Indiana, he served as the Superintendent of the Kansas Juvenile Correctional Complex for approximately two and a half years. He began his career in corrections with the Missouri Department of Corrections, starting as a Corrections Officer at the Missouri State Penitentiary in 1985. Since that time, Mike has held positions as a Correctional Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain and Major. He has also held positions as Correctional Training Officer, Internal Affairs Investigator, Assistant Superintendent and Associate Superintendent.
He has extensive experience with CJJA and Performance-based Standards (PbS). He had been a member of the CJJA Board of Directors for four years and served for two years (2012-14) as president.
Mike holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration and Criminal Justice and has been actively involved with the American Correctional Association as a member and certified auditor.

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