Abby Anderson, Executive Director Lara Herscovitch, Sr. Policy Analyst 6 th Annual Connecticut Data Showcase Conference April 27, 2011

Mission The mission of the Connecticut Juvenile Justice Alliance is to (A) reduce the number of children and youth entering the juvenile and criminal justice systems, and (B) advocate a safe, effective, and fair system for those involved.

Priorities and Strategies –Legislative Education and Advocacy –Strategic Communications –Community Organizing –National / State / Local Partnerships (esp LISTs)

Today’s Agenda Understanding CT’s Juvenile Justice System –Who is in our system? –What reform has been underway? –What has it achieved? –Where is the intersection between jj and education systems? –Does race matter in terms of how kids are treated by the juvenile justice system and, if so, how?

Of everyone arrested in CT, how many are children and youth?

What are our children and youth being arrested for?

What is the gender make up of the juvenile justice system?

Good news: Over the past ten years, reforms have significantly reduced the size of the entire juvenile justice system, from front end to deep end.

Fewer kids going to court System Shrinking

Fewer kids in court for delinquency AND FWSN… 2006 – 2009 Delinquency , , , , – 2009 FWSN 20064, , , ,475 Source: CT Judicial Branch; Court Management Information System

Fewer kids in detention Source: Judicial Branch System Shrinking

Fewer kids committed to DCF

Number of kids sent to Connecticut Juvenile Training School (juvenile prison) is holding steady admissions admissions admissions admissions Source: DCF CJTS Reports to Legislature, System Shrinking

As of January 1, 2010, 16-year-olds are considered juveniles for all but the most serious crimes. (Only 2 states treat all 16 year-olds as adults.) 17 year-olds still “adults” in CT no matter how minor their crime. They join juvenile justice system July 1, (Only 10 other states treat all 17 year-olds as adults.)

Raise the Age: the impact of 16-year-olds Projected system increase:40% Actual system increase:22% Source: Judicial Branch

Even with the addition of 16-year-olds, court referrals are below levels in FY Delinquency, FWSN, YIC 19,242 CY 2010 Delinquency, FWSN, YIC 16,275

Even with 16-year-olds, detention is below ’06 levels Source: Judicial Branch

admissions admissions admissions admissions admissions Even with 16 year-olds, CJTS admissions have not seen a major impact (2011 will be more telling) Source: DCF CJTS Annual Reports to Legislature 06-10

Why is the system shrinking? Smart investments in prevention A commitment to serve kids in the least restrictive environment Home-based, evidence-based, family- centric interventions e.g., FWSN reform, Family Support Centers

What are the results of a shrinking system? No increase in crime, juvenile crime rate still falling More appropriate services Community services cheaper than institutions –6 months of MST = $9,000* –6 months at CJTS = $133,920** 16-year-olds incorporated with zero capitol costs and fewer programmatic and staff costs than anticipated More room to add 17-year-olds at lower cost than expected *Judicial Branch, Court Support Services Division **CJTS Advisory Board Report to the Legislature, January 2010

Where is the intersection of juvenile justice and education? Connecting the dots: –School Climate –Vision and Approach to Discipline –Suspension –Expulsion –Arrest –Presence of SROs or patrol officers –Relationship between district and PD –Reentry policies and practices

Education and JJ Keep kids in school. “Students should be removed from the school setting only under the most exceptional circumstances...That is why we need policies like this that keep students in school, not at home. Keeping children out of school is a direct line to delinquent behavior. Students get farther behind in their course work. They lose hope of catching up. It’s a recipe for failure.” – Governor M. Jodi Rell, June 28, 2007

Education and JJ How do kids get into the juvenile justice system from the education system? FWSN – about 50% of all FWSN referrals are for truancy Arrest and other exclusionary discipline practices

Education and JJ Are school-based disciplinary sanctions administered fairly?

Education and JJ Are school-based disciplinary sanctions administered fairly? NO Twice as likely for African-Americans Almost 3x as likely for Latinos Twice as likely for males Twice as likely for special education students Source: CT State Department of Education, 2011

Education and JJ Truancy Awareness Raising – FWSN laws, available programs and services. Expansion of Family Support Center and FSC services statewide. Prevention and Early Intervention Center for Children’s Advocacy leading these efforts

Education and JJ Keep kids in school. Reduce the use of discipline strategies that remove kids from schools. Sign at a Bridgeport high school

Education and JJ Keep kids in school. Arrests at school Children much more likely to be arrested in school today, many for offenses that could be better handled within school (remove hat, yell in hallway, etc.). Behavior is “inappropriate but developmentally understandable.” Why? Zero tolerance policies, lack of discipline alternatives Increased pressures on schools and increased presence of police in schools Lack of clarity regarding police role in schools

Education and JJ Limited School-Based Arrest Data… But Not for Long. Waterbury 2008: HALF of all juvenile arrests happened between 8am and 3pm, Monday to Friday Ansonia and Windsor : 65%+ of arrests were for disturbance / breach of peace Judicial Branch collecting school-based arrest data: statewide baseline Annie E. Casey Foundation project pilot sites (Manchester, Stamford, Willimantic, plus Middletown) more (and all) to follow

Education and JJ Alliance activities: keeping kids in school. Awareness-Raising : panels and reports Limit offenses for which out-of-school/arrest is an option Get data! How many kids are arrested in school / district and for what offenses? Give educators and police discretion and opportunity to use common sense. Zero tolerance = Zero intelligence Legislative clarity around reentry policies and practices – accepting credits, no double-jeopardy expulsion, etc.

Does race/ethnicity effect how children are treated in the juvenile justice system? YES Do we know how race/ethnicity effects how children are treated? YES Race Matters

We believe that ALL youth in the juvenile justice system should be treated equally, regardless of their race or ethnicity. This is not the case. We have DMC in Connectict. Race Matters

“Disproportionate Minority Contact” (DMC) = Youth of color receive different treatment by the juvenile justice system than their white peers, leading to more negative outcomes. Race Matters What is DMC?

What states have Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC)? Race Matters

All of them Race Matters

Juvenile Justice & Hispanic Kids Percentage of CT under-18 population that is Hispanic 14% Percentage of CT juvenile justice population that is Hispanic 20%

Juvenile Justice & Black Kids Percentage of CT under-18 population that is Black 12% Percentage of CT juvenile justice population that is Black 35%

Juvenile Justice & White Kids Percentage of CT under-18 population that is White 75% Percentage of CT juvenile justice population that is White 35%

Why are there more kids of color in the juvenile justice system? Race Matters

Why are there more kids of color in the juvenile justice system? Do kids of color commit more crime than white kids? Race Matters

Why are there more kids of color in the juvenile justice system? Do kids of color commit more crime than white kids? NO In national surveys, including one by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, kids of all races and ethnicities self-report committing the same crimes at very similar rates. Kids of all races and ethnicities do the same things. But we treat kids of color more harshly. Race Matters

Why are there more kids of color in the juvenile justice system? Is Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) a result of poverty?

Race Matters Why are there more kids of color in the juvenile justice system? Is Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) a result of poverty? NO Connecticut studies of DMC looked at how coming from a low-income neighborhood affects treatment. Poverty is a disadvantage, but it does not fully account for the difference in how a kid is treated.

Race Matters Why are there more kids of color in the juvenile justice system? Is it simply because there’s more crime in cities, where many of them live?

Race Matters Why are there more kids of color in the juvenile justice system? Is it simply because there’s more crime in cities, where many of them live? NO We actually see a greater disparity in the treatment of minority youth in rural and suburban Connecticut than in the state’s cities.

Race Matters Where is the DMC in Connecticut’s juvenile justice system? CT Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee research by Spectrum Associates 15 “decision points” how kids are handled after arrest through DCF commitment Does not include decision to arrest 7 show Disproportionate Minority Contact

Race Matters 7 Decision Points WITH Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC): BlackHispanicWhite 1. Referred to court  2. Placed in secure holding  3. Taken to detention  4. Released from detention prior to case disposition  5. Transferred to adult court  6. Time spent in CJTS  7. Time spent in non-secure facility  The data covers a sampling of police cases from , juvenile court records from 2006 and Department of Children and Families records from

Race Matters 8 Decision Points WITHOUT Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC): BlackHispanicWhite 1. Brought to police station (versus released) 2. Length of time in secure holding 3. Length of time in detention 4. Type of handling (case in front of a judge or probation officer) 5-6. For cases in front of a judge, how many kids were found guilty and what the consequences were for being found guilty (i.e., placement in CJTS, residential, home / on probation) 7. For cases that didn’t go in front of a judge, the outcome (supervision, discharge) 8. Percentage of DCF commitment completed The data covers a sampling of police cases from , juvenile court records from 2006 and Department of Children and Families records from

Race Matters Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) is something we can change. Because we know exactly where in the system these problems exist, we can target those decision points and demand accountability and equality.

Race Matters DMC is in everyone’s interest to change. Offends our shared values of equality / equal opportunity Diminishes a child’s long-term chances Wastes state resources by putting kids in the system who don’t need to be there

To Recap Youth make up less than 10% of justice system. Raise the Age is halfway implemented, so far so good. Overall system is much smaller today than it was a decade ago – crime is lower, fewer kids in detention or prison, community-based care more effective and cheaper. Education and justice systems overlap. Address that by giving schools tools and supports to keep kids in school. Race is a factor in how kids are treated by our system. We know where those racial decisions occur so we can make changes.

Questions? Comments? Check out to learn more or get involved