FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 13, 2024
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Ali Oshinskie
860-707-6810
RELEASE: CTJA and Coalition of Lawmakers Support Legislation Addressing the Root Causes and Impacts of the Criminalization of Youth
Hartford, CT (Wednesday, March 13) - The Connecticut Justice Alliance (CTJA) rallied politicians at the state capitol Tuesday to pass a slate of bills aimed at ending the criminalization of youth stemming from recommendations made by the Juvenile Justice Policy and Oversight Committee.
Joined by State Representatives Robyn Porter (House District 94), Anthony Nolan (House District 39), and Jillian Gilchrest (House District 18), Christina Quaranta, Executive Director of CTJA called for political will and understanding of the crisis Connecticut’s youth are facing in 2024.
“Investing in young people is about more than just money, it’s about time and love,” said Christina Quaranta, Executive Director of CTJA. “Addressing the root causes of crime is the only way out of the violence. You can’t incarcerate your way out of violence. We know there are ways that work to address crime and actually help folks return to their families and their communities in a better place than they left.”
These bills span the ways in which a criminal record prevents young adults from getting into higher education, employment after incarceration, or ways that victims of sex work get criminalized in the process of healing from trauma. CTJA is supporting the various bills out of these recommendations, HB 5339 and An Act Concerning The Juvenile Justice Policy and Oversight Committee.
CTJA's policy stance is that the criminalization of youth runs deep and into varied impacts over a lifetime. To support, and not further harm young people, CTJA believes investments must be made to support youth in their healing and life after incarceration. Recommendations from the Juvenile Justice Policy and Oversight Committee have integrated feedback across the Incarceration, Gender Responsiveness, and Education Workgroups.
Because the issues impacting criminalized and re-entering youth span issue areas, the slate of bills out of the JJPOC recommendations address a broad variety of issues, from how a criminal history follows individuals into higher education, job training programs in prisons, and the unique needs of minors forced into sexual crimes. Representatives at the press conference spanned membership on Judiciary, Appropriations, Human Services, and Public Health, speaking to the ways the causes and impacts of criminalization need to be addressed across committees.
“Education is the key component that levels the playing field to the advancement of all people and should be equitably accessible for all students,” State Representative Robyn Porter said. “Ultimately, the decision to prohibit the consideration of school disciplinary history during the admissions process involves balancing the principles of equity and fairness with concerns about campus safety and community well-being.”
HB 5339, the bill Rep. Porter was speaking on, would prohibit institutions of higher education from considering the school disciplinary history of an applicant during the admissions process. This is a product of the JJPOC Education Working Group.
An Act Concerning The Juvenile Justice Policy and Oversight Committee from the JJPOC recommendations is anticipated to include plans for improved reentry support for young adults. The JJPOC recommends mentors to stay with youth reentering from DOC, JBCSSD facilities, and contracted programs, for up to 2 years from the time of release. Connections with adults with experience in the legal system are one of the best tools for reducing recidivism; New York State saw a 50% drop in reconviction after 2 years of the program, according to The Sentencing Project.
“We all want CT to continue to be a safe place,” said Rep. Anthony Nolan. “Public safety means taking care of our kids and communities and addressing root causes of crime before a crime is committed and a child is arrested and people are harmed.”
An Act Concerning The Juvenile Justice Policy and Oversight Committee will also prepare young adults for life after through job readiness or career training programs prior to reentry with embedded industry-recognized credentials, certifications, or licenses. The recommendation also includes facilities coordinating to find employment prior to release for job-ready youth.
The JJPOC recommendation bill will formalize and organize Gender Responsive programming specific to the needs of criminalized girls and LGBTQ youth. As the chair of the Trafficking and Persons Council, Gilchrest saw that the prostitution statute criminalized youth as young as 16 years old and charged them as adults – that changed to age 18 in 2022. The Gender Responsive Workgroup formalizes the programs that address the stigma associated with these young adults criminalized by prostitution and support various needs of youth criminalized based on gender-based violence.
“Over the years in CT, we have had programs that work, but it comes in fits and starts," said Rep. Jillian Gilchrest. “So the purpose of the Gender Responsive Workgroup is to put into state statute something that will not go away. When someone exchanges their body for money, it causes a certain kind of trauma that takes a long time to get over. Again I have not done the direct service, but I have learned from those who have and they explain that that type of trauma takes years to get beyond.”
ABOUT THE CONNECTICUT JUSTICE ALLIANCE
The Connecticut Justice Alliance (CTJA) 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.
CTJA was formerly known as the Connecticut Juvenile Justice Alliance.
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