How to Change Hearts and Minds on Emerging Adults

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Teri Deal, M.Ed. joined the National Center for State Courts as a Principal Court Management Consultant in 2019 after several years of experience working in juvenile and family court research settings and in direct service to system-involved youth and families. Her work at NCSC focuses on child, youth, and family justice with a specific emphasis on implementing and evaluating court practices, continuous quality improvement, and systems change efforts. Prior to joining NCSC, Ms. Deal spent nearly a decade as a researcher at the National Center for Juvenile Justice (NCJJ), the research arm of the National Council for Juvenile and Family Court Judges. Her work there primarily focused on supporting juvenile justice systems, courts, agencies, and programs to collect and use data to improve outcomes for youth and families. Ms. Deal studied University of Pittsburgh and the University of Virginia. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Community Engagement at Point Park University researching school-justice partnerships.

Bonnie Hoffman serves as the Director of Public Defense for the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) where she focuses on addressing the needs of public defense systems, the attorneys who provide public defense representation, and the clients and communities they serve. Overseeing NACDL’s commitment to public defense, Bonnie assists public defenders and court appointed counsel by developing and delivering training programs and materials, as well as working with local, state and national leaders to address reforms in our nation’s public defense delivery systems. Prior to joining NACDL Bonnie spent more than 21 years as a public defender in Virginia, where she represented adults and juveniles charged with a variety of misdemeanor and felony offenses. Her practice included both trial and appellate work. Throughout her career, Bonnie has served on numerous committees and work groups associated with public defense, the criminal justice system, and special populations. She has presented at a variety of local, state, and national trainings on a wide range of issues from trial skills to racial bias. Bonnie earned her law degree from George Mason University School of Law and her undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia.

Eric joined Nebraska Probation in 2019 as the Alternatives to Incarceration Programs and Services Specialist. In this role, he managed the Post Release Supervision team and oversight of Reporting Center Services. In 2022 he was promoted to Director of Adult Field Services, where he oversees high risk adult case management services and is currently the project lead in implementation of a new approach to working with Emerging Adults. Prior to his work with Nebraska Probation, Eric was the Director of Programs with the Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri from 2017-2019 and served as the Director of the International Youth Center in Chicago from 2013-2017. Eric has over 20 years of experience in the non-profit sector and is a specialized trainer in Crisis Intervention and De-Escalation techniques.