Six win statewide honors
at close
of ACJJ annual conference
Five Arkansans and a youth program won the state’s top juvenile justice honors Thursday from the Arkansas Coalition for Juvenile Justice at the close of its annual statewide conference at the Statehouse Convention Center.
Receiving individual awards were: Edwin A. Keaton of Camden, circuit judge in the 13th Judicial District, Juvenile Judge of the Year Award; Rhonda Howell with Comprehensive Juvenile Services of Fort Smith, the Juvenile Justice Worker of the Year Award; David Bergstrom with Comprehensive Juvenile Services in Van Buren, Juvenile Justice Advocate of the Year Award; and two young men who tied for the state’s ACJJ Spirit of Youth Award, Jordan Meadows of Calico Rock and Brian Reynolds of Hot Springs.
Recognized with the Juvenile Justice Program of the Year Award was the Garland County Juvenile Detention Facility in Hot Springs, accepted by the facility administrator, Lt. Belinda Cosgrove.
The awards were presented Thursday, November 6 at the final session of the ninth annual ACJJ statewide conference on juvenile justice and delinquency prevention. Theme of the conference was Emerging Reforms in Juvenile Justice.
Presenting the awards was Senator Tracy Steele of North Little Rock, majority leader of the Arkansas Senate and founding CEO of The STAND Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit organization providing leadership training for young adults.
The annual ACJJ Juvenile Justice Awards
are normally
presented at each year's ACJJ Conference on Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention. The nomination period will be
announced on this Web page.
Previous ACJJ Award Winners
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
| J-J Advocate of the Year | Phillip Hatley | Mena |
| Juvenile Judge of the Year (tie) | Hon. Vicki S. Cook Hon. Joyce Warren |
Hot Springs Little Rock |
| J-J Program of the Year | Teen Parenting Program | 6th Judicial District |
| J-J Worker of the Year | Cheryl Green | Mountain Home |
| J-J Advocate of the Year | Frances Morreale | Fort Smith |
| Juvenile Judge of the Year | Hon. Stephen Choate | Batesville |
| J-J Program of the Year | New Way Program | 18-E Judic. District |
| J-J Worker of the Year | Sandra Hunter | Lonoke |
| Spirit of Youth | Kim Emmons | Jonesboro |
| J-J Advocate of the Year | Sally Davis | New Blaine |
| Juvenile Judge of the Year | Hon. Mark Hewett | Fort Smith |
| J-J Program of the Year | Ark. Nat'l Guard | Camp Robinson |
| J-J Worker of the Year (tie) | Annette Swindle Leif Jackson |
Hot Springs Little Rock |
| Spirit of Youth | Michael Munise | Harrison |
| J-J Advocate of the Year | Steve Nawojczyk | North Little Rock |
| Juvenile Judge of the Year (tie) | Hon. Wiley Branton, Jr. Hon. Thomas E. Brown Hon. Stephen Choate |
Little Rock Pine Bluff Batesville |
| J-J Program of the Year | Baxter Co. Alt. School | Mountain Home |
| J-J Worker of the Year | Lona Morrow | Heber Springs |
| Spirit of Youth | Nicole Reynolds | Hot Springs |
| J-J Advocate of the Year | Robert Cooney | Mabelvale |
| Juvenile Judge of the Year | Hon. Gary Isbell | Mountain Home |
| J-J Program of the Year | United Family Services | Pine Bluff |
| J-J Worker of the Year | Kevin Hoffman | Hot Springs |
| Spirit of Youth | Alex McFeeters | Van Buren |
(Records unavailable for 2005)
| J-J Advocate of the Year | Belinda A. Scott | Fort Smith |
| Juvenile Judge of the Year | Hon. Teresa French | McGehee |
| J-J Program of the Year | J-Rap Program, Garland Co. JDC | Hot Springs |
| J-J Worker of the Year | Christina Selig | Hot Springs |
| Spirit of Youth | PFC Matthew Johnson | Rogers |
| J-J Advocate of the Year | David H. Scharbor | Booneville |
| Juvenile Judge of the Year | Hon. Terry Sullivan | Danville |
| J-J Program of the Year | Active Parenting of Teens Program | Comprehensive Juvenile Services, Inc., Fort Smith |
| J-J Worker of the Year | Susan Hutchins | Searcy |
| Spirit of Youth | (Not Awarded) |