FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT
June 1, 2020 Ashlee Niedospial
Ashlee@narrative-project.com 570.778.5916
Bridgeport, CT – In the wake of the recent police-involved murder of George Floyd which catalyzed nation and statewide protests over the weekend, the Connecticut Juvenile Justice Alliance has issued the following statement: "The Connecticut Juvenile Justice Alliance stands in full solidarity with the protesters demanding an end to police brutality, racism, and oppression across the nation and here in Connecticut. Racial injustice infects every part of our lives and we stand with those working to ensure a just and equitable society for all. Our country has oppressed Black people, Native American people, Hispanic people, and all others outside of the circle of "whiteness" since its formation. This legacy shows up everywhere. It shows up in underfunded school systems meant to serve Black and brown communities. It shows up in housing and job discrimination that make it more difficult and prevent people of color from securing meaningful, well-paying jobs and safe, adequate housing. It shows up in the ways Black individuals and other people of color receive subpar health care. It shows up in our justice systems that disproportionately police, arrest, confine, jail, and punish Black and brown bodies. We must say George Floyd's name and Breonna Taylor's name. We must say the names of Mubarak Soulemane and Jayson Negron because Connecticut is not exempt from this legacy of oppression. We must say the names of all the individuals who have been taken by a system that continues to devalue the lives of Black and brown human beings. Connecticut's local and state budgets, policies, and practices have created some of the deepest wealth gaps in the country. Nearly every system and institution we currently rely on was built around oppression. We have to call on the leaders of Connecticut, the governor, legislators, and others that hold office and decision making power, to make a permanent change. We must look at our budgets and see how they perpetuate inequities and injustices. We must work to build new systems rooted in equity and justice. The Connecticut Juvenile Justice Alliance stands with all of those envisioning the society we can create out of this moment. We pledge to work alongside them to make that vision a reality."
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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.