FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT
January 5, 2021 Ashlee Niedospial
“Christina has dedicated her entire career to serving the young people in our state.”
- Marc Donald, Executive Director of RYASAP and CTJJA Steering Committee Member
Bridgeport, CT – The Connecticut Juvenile Justice Alliance (CTJJA) today announced that Christina Quaranta has officially taken over as Executive Director, effective January 1, 2021. “Christina has dedicated her entire career to serving the young people in our state. Her lifelong commitment to youth and justice, and wealth of experiences make her the ideal person to lead CTJJA into the next chapter,” said Marc Donald, Executive Director of RYASAP and CTJJA Steering Committee Member. “Christina has already played a pivotal role in advancing the work of justice in the juvenile system and I’m confident that under her leadership CTJJA will continue its vital mission of ending the criminalization of youth once and for all.” A Connecticut native, Quaranta has over a decade of experience in the non-profit sector and an extensive background in juvenile justice policy and practice, reform and organizing, facilitation, legislative education, and an unwavering dedication to the development of just systems. Quaranta joined CTJJA in 2016 and has served previously as Deputy Director. It was in this capacity that she led efforts at the local, state, and national level to address racial and ethnic disparities within the justice systems and improve conditions for system-involved youth, including efforts that contributed to the closure of the Connecticut Juvenile Training School in 2018. Quaranta oversaw the development of CTJJA’s Justice Advisors, a group of 18 through 25-year-olds from communities most impacted by the justice system, and played a key role in the transition of CTJJA to a youth/adult partnership. Quaranta is currently a sitting member of the state’s Juvenile Justice Policy and Oversight Committee and served for two years as co-chairperson of the National Juvenile Justice Network’s Membership Advisory Council. Quaranta spent six years as a Family Advocate for Domus Kids, working to break down the barriers that prevent young people from achieving success in school, in Stamford and New Haven, prior to joining CTJJA. “CTJJA has more than 20 years of policy wins and successes that have transformed the justice system in Connecticut and improved the lives of countless system-impacted youth,” said Christina Quaranta, Executive Director of CTJJA. “But as it stands, the justice system is anything but just and there’s still more that needs to be done to do right by the young people in our state. I am committed to pushing our state in a just and bold direction because that’s what our youth deserve.” “Many of you already know Christina and her fierce commitment to improving the lives of young people and system-impacted youth in Connecticut,” former Executive Director Abby Anderson said in the statement announcing her resignation. “Christina is ready and eager to face the challenges and opportunities this moment in time presents.” Quaranta holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration with a concentration in nonprofit management from Fairfield University, where she also received the Graduate Student Award for commitment to and impact upon the greater community. She holds a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Southern Connecticut State and is certified in Therapeutic Crisis Intervention from Domus Kids.
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About the Connecticut Juvenile Justice Alliance
The Connecticut Juvenile Justice Alliance is a youth/adult partnership working to end the criminalization of youth. The Alliance works to disrupt and dismantle the pathways that funnel children and youth into the juvenile justice system by using organizing, advocacy, and policy tools to protect the rights, futures, and well-being of potentially, currently, and formerly incarcerated youth, while also ensuring youth who are detained, incarcerated, and involved in the courts and legal systems receive safe, fair, and dignified treatment.