Liz Ryan

Liz Ryan currently serves as the Stanley S. Nelson Distinguished Practitioner for Justice Reporting & Communications at Louisiana State University. In that role, Liz leads Report for Youth Justice (https://reportforyouthjustice.org/) to engage Louisiana journalism students as well as reporters across the country in covering youth justice issues and the juvenile justice system, and helps to run the LSU Cold Case Project (https://lsucoldcaseproject.com/) field experience class to investigate civil rights era murder cases.

Together with her colleague Janet Chiancone, Liz launched Read for Youth Justice (https://www.readforyouthjustice.org/), a resource curated in partnership with youth justice stakeholders and libraries to elevate books, narratives, and voices that reflect the realities of youths’ experiences in the justice system.

Following her appointment by President Joseph R. Biden in 2022, Liz served as the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) at the U.S. Department of Justice. In that capacity, Liz championed the key priorities of the youth justice field: (1) Treat children as children, (2) Support children at home with their families in their communities, (3) Expand opportunities for justice-involved youth, (4) Promote racial equity and fairness, and (5) Center directly impacted youth and their families in youth justice transformation work.

Liz previously led several national initiatives on youth justice, including the Act 4 JJ campaign to reauthorize of the Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention Act; Campaign for Youth Justice to end the placement of youth in adult court, adult jails and prisons; and the Youth First Initiative to end youth incarceration and invest in youth. She has held policy & advocacy roles at the Youth Law Center, the Center on Budget & Policy Priorities, and the Children’s Defense Fund, as well as serving in senior legislative roles on Capitol Hill and the Delaware governor's office.