Jason Smith, the former Director of Youth Justice Policy for MCYJ, now serves as the organization's Executive Director. 

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Jason has dedicated his career to transforming the juvenile justice system. Before coming to MCYJ, he worked directly with system-involved youth and families in the field of social work—experiences that shaped his advocacy for policy reform. Under his leadership, MCYJ has played a key role in advancing major reforms, including raising the age of juvenile court jurisdiction to 17, eliminating most juvenile court fines and fees, and strengthening confidentiality protections for juvenile records. He was part of the Juvenile Justice Reform Task Force formed by Gov. Whitmer that led to the passage of the 2023 Justice for Kids and Communities legislative reforms. He was also first appointed to the Michigan Committee on Juvenile Justice in 2020 and will be chairman of the committee’s next term, starting in August 2026.