On May 4, 2022, Office of Justice Programs Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon announced that President Biden has appointed Liz Ryan as Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
"Liz Ryan is an impassioned advocate for America's youth and a visionary whose actions have benefitted our nation’s young people in countless ways," said Solomon.
Ryan joins OJJDP from the Youth First Initiative, a national campaign to end youth incarceration, which she founded and served as president and CEO.
There, Ryan led a multi-state effort to shift resources from incarceration to community-based services. The initiative led to the closure of youth prisons in a half-dozen states and redirection of more than $50 million to non-incarceration alternatives.
As head of OJJDP, Ryan will direct grant programs, training initiatives, and policy activities aimed at protecting youth and advancing youth justice reforms.
Ryan's appointment is effective May 16, when she takes over the leadership post from Chyrl Jones, who has served as OJJDP's Acting Administrator since January 2021.