Downstate Hosts Latinx Youth Issue Brief Discussion with New York Youth Justice Institute

By Office of the President | Oct 11, 2022

Thanks to Adriana M. Conde, Labor Relations assistant vice president, and Brigitte C. Desport, DPS, OTR/L, SOHP Strategic Initiatives associate dean—host, and moderator, respectively—for a stimulating Hispanic Heritage Month presentation led by the New York Youth Justice Institute (YJI).

The Livestreamed event introduced the Latinx Youth Issue Brief 2022, which provides a comprehensive and updated status and profile of Latinx youth in New York and the United States.

Introduced by Ms. Conde, the presenters, Giza Lopes, Ph.D., New York State Youth Justice Institute executive director, Megan Willows, YJI Research Fellow and Doctoral candidate, and Alysha Gagnon, YJI Graduate Fellow and Doctoral candidate, each discussed highlights from the brief, including their findings about education, health, Hispanic vs. Latinx terminology, gender and identity, justice system involvement, and data collection gaps related to Latinx youth. Additionally, their discussion highlighted concrete action steps for research and practice in these areas.

Ms. Conde, a Class of 2022 graduate of the SUNY Hispanic Leadership Institute–which focuses on the development of Hispanic leaders in higher education throughout the SUNY system–participated in and provided feedback on the final version of the brief.

In addition, Dr. Desport moderated the Q&A portion of the program that featured thought-provoking questions about how Latinx youth are engaging in education, finding their political voice, educating others about how gender and identity are understood as part of LGBTQIA+ communities, and how the justice system can become integrated with their challenges.

YJI is a partnership among the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services, the NYS Office of Children and Family Services, and SUNY Albany.