Marc Schindler is Executive Director of the Justice Policy Institute (JPI), a national research and policy organization dedicated to reducing the use of incarceration in the juvenile and criminal justice systems. Prior to joining JPI in 2013, Marc was a partner with Venture Philanthropy Partners (VPP), a philanthropic investment organization funding youth programs in the National Capital Region. Schindler came to VPP from the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS), Washington, DC’s executive branch juvenile corrections agency. At DYRS he held numerous leadership positions between 2005-2010, including serving as General Counsel, Chief of Staff, and Interim Director. While there he helped lead overall management of the agency and reforms, and was the agency’s point person on issues related to professional development, communications, legislative relations and internal investigations. Prior to joining DYRS, he served as a Staff Attorney with the Youth Law Center (YLC), a national public interest civil rights law firm dedicated to protecting the rights of young people in juvenile justice and child welfare systems nationwide, from 1997 to 2005. While at YLC Marc was involved with training, technical assistance, law reform litigation, and legislative and administrative advocacy on legal issues related to children, with particular emphasis on improving the conditions of confinement for institutionalized children and addressing racial disparities in the justice system. Marc also served as co-chair of the national Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention Coalition in Washington, DC, was a founding member of the Justice for DC Youth Coalition, and taught children’s rights at American University’s Washington College of Law. Schindler has served on numerous boards and commissions including as a member of the ABA’s Juvenile Justice Committee, the DC Police Complaints Board, the Maryland Governor’s Task Force on Juvenile Justice, the Committee for Baltimore’s Children, and the Mayor’s Advisory Council on a Safer, Stronger DC. He previously worked as an Assistant Public Defender in Baltimore’s juvenile court representing children in delinquency proceedings, where he was the recipient of the Cahill Award for outstanding commitment to service and chaired the Juvenile Law Committee of the Baltimore City Bar Association. He is a recognized expert in the field, providing commentary in the national media, and is also the author of numerous articles and book chapters. Marc is a graduate of Yale University and the University of Maryland School of Law.