On this week’s podcast we talk to Anthony Pierro, executive director of Strategies for Youth (SFY), a national policy and training organization dedicated to improving interactions between law enforcement and youth. Pierro took the helm at SFY last year from its founder, Lisa Thurau.

We talked about Pierro’s career as a juvenile prosecutor on the New Jersey shore, and how that informed his approach to training law enforcement. We also talked about a justice commission he served on during President Trump’s first term, whether he thinks there will be any traction for youth policy during this administration, and his hopes for a new app for law enforcement that SFY is building.

In this episode, host Sofia Ng speaks with Anthony Pierro about his vision for juvenile justice as a distinct and independent field. From his time as a chief juvenile attorney to his current national work, Pierro explains why youth justice requires specialized training, policies, and a fundamentally different approach than adult systems. He explains how focusing on the root causes of behavior—and not just the offense—can reshape outcomes for youth. Pierro outlines what it would take to build a system truly designed for young people, and why that shift is needed.

More than five years after legislative enactment, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts may be on its way to becoming the first state in the nation to mandate that law enforcement agencies (LEAs) receive state certification regarding their interactions with youth. In January 2026, the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission (MA POST) gave preliminary approval to a Juvenile Operations Standard (JOS). When the JOS is formally adopted, all of the approximately 350 LEAs in Massachusetts must comply with it. “This leads us, once again, to urge the state of Massachusetts… to create standards for law enforcement agencies, policies for law enforcement agencies, and practices that reflect these developmental differences – especially when it comes to use of force.”

On February 3, 2026, Strategies for Youth (SFY) celebrated its First Annual Juvenile Justice Champions honoring SFY partners across the nation.

CAMBRIDGE, MA, UNITED STATES, December 10, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ — Strategies for Youth (SFY), the national policy and training organization dedicated to improving interactions between law enforcement and youth, announced Wednesday the selection of veteran juvenile prosecutor Anthony V. Pierro as the organization’s next executive director.
“This leads us, once again, to urge the state of Massachusetts… to create standards for law enforcement agencies, policies for law enforcement agencies, and practices that reflect these developmental differences – especially when it comes to use of force.”

Social Innovation Forum was eager to convene our nonprofit and funder communities for our November 17th event, “Rising to the Challenge: Why Supporting Policy and Advocacy is Critical Now.” In planning for the event, we considered how to convey hope while remaining grounded in the incredibly challenging reality we are all facing. At the event, through many inspiring speakers reflecting on the specific ways they were taking action to support their communities, it became clear that our hope would come from knowing what actually can be done to create change. “This leads us, once again, to urge the state of Massachusetts… to create standards for law enforcement agencies, policies for law enforcement agencies, and practices that reflect these developmental differences – especially when it comes to use of force.”

Strategies for Youth Executive Director Lisa Thurau spoke with WHDH’s Mari Salazar about this week’s interaction between Webster Police and a 17-year-old:

“This leads us, once again, to urge the state of Massachusetts… to create standards for law enforcement agencies, policies for law enforcement agencies, and practices that reflect these developmental differences – especially when it comes to use of force.”

The Webster Police Department released body camera footage this week showing officers punching and using a taser during the arrest of a juvenile.

WBZ spoke with Strategies for Youth’s Executive Director Lisa Thurau about the need for statewide training and policies for law enforcement officers and standards for law enforcement agencies.

SFY’s mission is based on the understanding that when officers understand youth behaviors and effectively respond to them, our communities are safer.

Lisa Thurau is the executive director of the national nonprofit Strategies for Youth, which focuses on best practices for how law enforcement and youth should interact and has run law enforcement training in Tennessee. SFY has been outspoken on the effects that National Guard deployments in U.S. cities will have on youth.

Thurau explained that even the positioning of law enforcement or ICE vehicles near school can cause a “ripple effect” on the school community. Thurau said that she hopes leaders in Memphis want more students at school, but if law enforcement and ICE are canvassing areas near school, parents might not feel comfortable sending their kids into that environment.

“Once you’ve created a risk and a threat, any parent who cares about their child is going to think twice about putting them in a further position of risk by taking them to school,” Thurau said.