Blog -- From Lived Experience to Leadership: Jefferson County Youth Launch T.R.U.E. Podcast

What do you wish you had known?

It’s a simple question. But for members of Jefferson County’s Youth Advisory Board, the answers opened the door to something much bigger.

Jefferson County launched the Youth Advisory Board, or YAB, in April 2025 to create a meaningful way for young people who are, or formerly were, involved in the youth justice system to have a voice in the programs, policies, and services that affect their lives.

As one of the Board’s first activities, members were asked about the issues they believed mattered most to young people. Mental health quickly emerged as a common theme, particularly the stress and uncertainty that can come with entering the youth justice system and not knowing what happens next.

For the young people involved, that uncertainty was familiar.

They knew what it felt like to wonder who they would meet, what those people would do, what decisions would be made, and what it all meant for their future.

So, they decided to create something they wished they had during their experience in the youth justice system.

The Real U Emerging
That idea became the T.R.U.E. Podcast — The Real U Emerging. The name reflects one of the central messages the Youth Advisory Board wanted other young people to hear: A mistake is something you made. It is not all of who you are.

From the beginning, the podcast has been youth-led. YAB members mapped out the people a young person might encounter while moving through the youth justice system. Drawing from their own experiences, they identified potential guests, brainstormed and refined interview questions, and considered what they wished someone had explained to them when they were first navigating the process.

A couple of the youth even created a video inviting prospective guests to participate. Once guests and schedules were coordinated, most of the conversations were recorded during two intensive days.

The result is a 13-episode journey through the youth justice system, told not from the perspective of the professionals who work within it, but instead through conversations with the young people who have experienced it.

Honest Conversations From Both Sides
The series begins with “Me, Myself and My Case,” in which YAB members discuss what it feels like to suddenly find yourself “in the system,” and how that experience can affect mental health, relationships, and a young person’s sense of self.

From there, listeners follow the journey step by step.

Police officers discuss those first interactions with youth. A parent talks about receiving “that” phone call. An intake worker explains what happens when a young person first walks through the doors of Human Services. Other episodes feature perspectives from a public defender, an assistant district attorney, a guardian ad litem, a circuit court judge, case managers, school professionals, and a victim advocate.

The final episode, “After the Case Closes,” brings the conversation beyond the system itself, with YAB members discussing hope, growth, purpose, and why what happens after a case can matter just as much as what happens during it.

Together, the episodes create a roadmap intended to make an unfamiliar and often overwhelming experience a little less uncertain.

But something else happened during those conversations, too.

The adults and professionals who participated weren’t simply there to answer questions. They began asking questions of the youth.

Those exchanges created genuine, two-way conversations and gave participating professionals an opportunity to hear directly from young people about how they experience the system. The adults involved consistently expressed how impressed they were by the young people’s insight, thoughtfulness, and questions.

That exchange is an important part of what makes T.R.U.E. different: Youth aren’t simply the audience for the project. They helped create it, shape it, and lead the conversation.

More Than One Moment
The podcast also challenges a misconception about young people involved in the youth justice system: that the circumstances bringing them there tell their whole story. They don’t.

These are young people who are still learning and growing. Accountability is an important part of youth justice, but so are rehabilitation, relationships, support, and opportunities to make different choices.

T.R.U.E. gives young people an opportunity to tell that story in their own voices.

And along the way, the young people creating the podcast experienced growth of their own. Some began the project hesitant to speak up or uncertain about sharing their experiences. Over time, they became increasingly confident, asking thoughtful questions, engaging in meaningful conversations with adults and professionals, advocating for themselves, and recognizing the value their experiences could hold for someone else.

“They didn’t just make a podcast; they became advocates, leaders, and a voice for other young people who may not yet feel comfortable speaking for themselves,” said Jessica Breezer, Youth Justice Ongoing Case Manager with the Jefferson County Human Services Department. “Their confidence, ownership, and purpose have been some of the most rewarding parts of the entire project.”

That growth is part of the impact of T.R.U.E. itself. The youth created a resource to help others navigate the system, but in the process, they also discovered the power of their own voices.

Youth Voice Driving Innovation
Financial assistance for the project was provided through an Innovations Grant from the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families. The grant helped give the YAB the support and resources needed to transform an idea into something that can now serve others.

That makes T.R.U.E. an example of innovation in County government that starts not with technology or a new process, but with listening.

“This initiative exemplifies our mission to listen and learn from those with lived experiences,” said Brent Ruehlow, Director of Jefferson County Human Services. “This podcast series represents the efforts of the entire community of stakeholders taking the lead from our youth to develop an extremely unique experience and tool for future youth justice-involved families.”

By inviting young people with lived experience to help identify a problem, and then empowering them to help build the solution, Jefferson County is finding a new way to connect people with information and services while giving those most affected by a system a meaningful role in improving it.

The project also reflects Jefferson County’s commitment to Transformative Government: looking for innovative, collaborative ways to improve how the County serves its residents and communities.

Building a Future Where Youth Thrive
The T.R.U.E. Podcast launches during Youth Justice Action Month, observed each October to raise awareness about the unique challenges young people face within the justice system and the importance of fair, effective, and developmentally appropriate responses.

The 2026 theme, “Building a Future Where Youth Thrive,” emphasizes creating communities where young people have the support they need as they transition to adulthood, including community connections, mentorship, mental health support, and access to basic needs.

It is a fitting backdrop for a project built around many of those same ideas.

What began with a question — What do you wish you had known? — has become an opportunity for young people to make the road a little clearer for someone else.

And perhaps that is the most important message behind T.R.U.E.: Entering the youth justice system may be one chapter in a young person’s story. It doesn’t have to define how that story ends.

Watch the T.R.U.E. Podcast
Hear directly from Jefferson County youth and the community members who joined them for these important conversations. Watch the full T.R.U.E. Podcast series on YouTube: Watch the T.R.U.E. Podcast on YouTube

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