Author: Matt Debnam
Governor Roy Cooper has proclaimed Oct. 27 - Nov. 2 as Juvenile Justice Week in North Carolina. From intervening in the lives of at-risk youth through community programs, and helping youth and families navigate the court system, to providing therapeutic and educational services to youth housed in our secure custody facilities, staff members at the Division of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention go above and beyond each day to care for our state’s most vulnerable juveniles.
Throughout the week, the division has highlighted several DJJDP staff members who have set high standards in their professional roles, earning the DJJDP Raising the Bar Award. A tremendous thank you goes to the many Juvenile Justice professionals in our department who work every day to help build strong futures for the youth of our state.
See More Photos of this year's Raising the Bar Awards
Information Technology - Daniel Flye
Database Analyst Daniel Flye is this year’s Raising the Bar Award winner from the Juvenile Justice Application Development section. In his role, Flye serves as the cornerstone for countless data-related projects supporting all DJJDP teams. His role extends beyond merely handling data; he delves deeply into understanding the core requirements of each project. This meticulous approach ensures that he doesn't just provide data, but truly aligns his analysis with the specific objectives and challenges at hand. Flye demonstrates the in-depth knowledge and skills to provide comprehensive analysis of data. He is instrumental in supporting analytics development and support as it relates to Tableau dashboard development.
Clinical - Barry White
Clinician Barry White is this year’s Raising the Bar Award winner from the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Clinical section. Since White came aboard and started working at Cabarrus YDC, he has gone above and beyond to help cover in the classroom and in the housing units due to short staffing. He is always willing to answer assistance calls and is often the first on the scene. White can bring a calming presence to youth and they respond well to him. He has generously offered to work overtime in the evenings when supervisors need staff. He is always willing to assist his teammates and co-workers and pitch in to help if needed. He is the consummate professional to all and has a smile ready for everyone.
Health Services - Constance McCloud
Nurse Constance Hamilton, this year’s Raising the Bar Award winner from the DJJDP Health Services section. Each day, in her role at Pitt Juvenile Detention Center, Hamilton demonstrates an inspiring passion for ensuring that every youth has the best care possible. She has built a strong rapport with juvenile in her care and attempts to teach them life lessons on how to maintain composure, even during stressful situations. In her 14 years with DJJDP, Hamilton has become a great mentor to our new Juvenile Justice nurses, and an inspiring presence for all around her. Thank you, Constance, for supporting the physical and mental health of both the youth in your care and the colleagues around you!
Administration - Joseph Healey
Congratulations to Human Resources Manager Joseph Healey, this year’s Raising the Bar Award winner from the DJJDP Administration section. During the past year, Healey has helped spearhead an aggressive team effort to lower the division’s overall vacancy rate from 36% in October of 2023 to 26% in October of 2024. Healey’s leadership has been critical to helping our HR team streamline hiring practices, institute regional hiring, and utilize new technology to track progression through the hiring process. Through his leadership and extraordinary efforts, accompanied by his motivation to innovate, Healey serves JJ staff every day in ways that impact both staff and juveniles’ lives.
Community Programs - Demetrius Vick
State Contracts Manager Demetrius Vick is this year’s Raising the Bar Award winner from the DJJDP Community Programs section. In his 31 years of DJJDP service, Vick has served in a wide variety of roles, from court services to facilities to community programs. Through all his positions, he has welcomed new challenges and responsibilities, freely offering from his deep knowledge of the Juvenile Justice system to help advance the division’s goals. Most recently, his knowledge of Facility Operations helped Methodist Home for Children launch the new Eastern Crisis and Assessment Center in Kinston.
Facility Operations – Cumberland Juvenile Detention Center and Chatham Youth Development Center
The teams at Cumberland Juvenile Detention Center and Chatham Youth Development Center are this year’s Raising the Bar Award winners from the DJJDP Facility Operations section. In recent years, DJJDP has faced challenges with both staffing and capacity at its juvenile facilities across the state. To help address ongoing capacity challenges, in 2024, the Division opened Rockingham YDC, and the staff members at Chatham YDC and Cumberland JDC played a key role in helping train and prepare new staff members for the opening. The support of these two facilities has helped place JJDP in a stronger position to provide needed therapeutic and educational services to our state’s most vulnerable youth.
Court Services - Rachel Johnson
This past July, DJJDP suffered a terrible loss when Interstate Compact Juvenile Court Counselor Rachel Johnson passed away. This sense of loss was felt particularly by her colleagues in the Juvenile Court Services section, where she had served for more than 19 years. In her most recent role, Johnson was involved in keeping track of justice-involved youth who have moved across state lines, ensuring that no youth fell through the cracks of the juvenile justice system. In honor of her memory, and her tireless service to youth, DJJDP is proud to posthumously award Rachel Johnson the Raising the Bar award for Court Services.
Special Recognition - Major Michelle Quintero
In the midst of Juvenile Justice Week, the Division of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention honors the life and service of Madison County Sheriff’s Office Major Michelle Quintero. Major Quintero served as director of operations at the Madison County Detention Center, which includes Madison Juvenile Detention Center. She was tragically swept away in flood waters on Sept. 27 as she was attempting to reach the detention center to help care for the youth and adults in her custody. In recognition of these heroic efforts, and her sacrifice, DJJDP is proud to posthumously award Major Michelle Quintero the Raising the Bar award for her 18 years of service.