Michael Umpierre

Michael Umpierre is a Senior Fellow at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University, and Deputy Director for Juvenile Justice System Improvement and Communications at the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform (CJJR). His work focuses on translating the research on what works to achieve positive outcomes for youth and families involved in the justice system into practical tools that agencies and partners can use to enhance policy and practice.

Michael is the editor and co-author of the groundbreaking Youth in Custody Practice Model (YICPM), a research-based guide to serving youth in juvenile detention and correctional facilities. In addition to overseeing the YICPM initiative (now introduced in ten jurisdictions around the U.S.), Michael plays a lead role in managing several juvenile justice system reform efforts, including the Juvenile Justice System Improvement Project and Juvenile Justice Leadership Network. He also advises on various policy initiatives, such as the Stop Solitary for Kids Campaign which aims to eliminate the practice of juvenile solitary confinement.

Prior to joining Georgetown, Michael served as the Chief of Staff at the District of Columbia’s Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, trial attorney at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, and coordinator of the National Center for Youth in Custody. He received a B.A. degree in Public Policy at Stanford University and a Juris Doctor degree from Yale Law School. Michael is the recipient of the prestigious Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans and the John Gardner Public Service Fellowship.