Off the Bench and Into the Community: How Judges Can Advance the Movement with Judge Jay Dugger

Tecoria and Elliott sit down with Judge Jay Dugger, who serves as the Chief Judge of the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court for the City of Hampton, Virginia. His story highlights how collaborative leadership led to a reduction of kids in foster care from 300 to about 80 and only one child in residential treatment over the past 20 years.

Judge Dugger joins the conversation in his personal capacity and as a consultant for the Annie E. Casey Foundation to share his unique perspective on judicial engagement. With over two decades on the bench, Judge Dugger shares how judges can partner with the community, provide critical leadership, and bring humanity into the courtroom. To advance the family well-being movement, judges need to use their proximity to families to understand the conditions that people face and build solutions that meet those needs.

Judge Dugger discusses innovations, like Hampton’s visitation center, which emerged from a need to better support families in being reunified. He also reflects on how asking critical questions and centering the work in the community can lead to more effective approaches that keep families together.