The RED conference kick-off begins with a presentation selected by the JDAI Alternatives To Detention (ATD) Sub-committee.  The first, in a three-part summer ATD series will be Opal West from the Annie E. Casey Foundation on Alternatives To Detention.

Opal West is a Program Associate for the Juvenile Justice Strategy Group with the Annie E. Casey Foundation, working to improve the nation’s probation practices for young people through the Probation Transformation work. She began her career as a juvenile Probation and Parole officer in the state of Louisiana. Opal spent most of her career focusing on improving racial equity in the juvenile justice system in Louisiana through leading the JDAI/RED statewide work, and improving conditions in facilities by helping design the standards of operations for all local and state secure facilities statewide. At the Annie E. Casey foundation, Opal provides technical assistance, and guides jurisdictions on how to improve probation and works with national partners to push the field into a new direction that will ultimately elevate equity and improve outcomes for youth under community supervision.