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Abby Anderson, Executive Director Lara Herscovitch, Sr. Policy Analyst

6 th Annual Connecticut Data Showcase Conference April 27, 2011. Abby Anderson, Executive Director Lara Herscovitch, Sr. Policy Analyst. Mission. The mission of the Connecticut Juvenile Justice Alliance is to

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Abby Anderson, Executive Director Lara Herscovitch, Sr. Policy Analyst

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  1. 6th Annual Connecticut Data Showcase Conference April 27, 2011 Abby Anderson, Executive Director Lara Herscovitch, Sr. Policy Analyst

  2. 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.

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

  4. 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?

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

  6. What are our children and youth being arrested for?

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

  8. 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.

  9. Fewer kids going to court System Shrinking

  10. System Shrinking Fewer kids in court for delinquency AND FWSN… 2006 – 2009 Delinquency 2006 14,280 2007 13,302 2008 11,421 2009 9,763 2006 – 2009 FWSN 2006 4,560 2007 3,833 2008 2,764 2009 2,475 Source: CT Judicial Branch; Court Management Information System

  11. System Shrinking Fewer kids in detention Source: Judicial Branch

  12. System Shrinking Fewer kids committed to DCF

  13. Number of kids sent to Connecticut Juvenile Training School (juvenile prison) is holding steady System Shrinking 2009 203 admissions 2008 201 admissions 2007 189 admissions 2006 215 admissions Source: DCF CJTS Reports to Legislature, 06-09

  14. 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, 2012. (Only 10 other states treat all 17 year-olds as adults.)

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

  16. Even with the addition of 16-year-olds,court referrals are below levels in 2006-07 FY 06-07 Delinquency, FWSN, YIC 19,242 CY 2010 Delinquency, FWSN, YIC 16,275

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

  18. Even with 16 year-olds, CJTS admissions have not seen a major impact (2011 will be more telling) 2010 211 admissions 2009 203 admissions 2008 201 admissions 2007 189 admissions 2006 215 admissions Source: DCF CJTS Annual Reports to Legislature 06-10

  19. Why is the systemshrinking? • 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

  20. 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

  21. 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

  22. 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

  23. 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

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

  25. 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

  26. 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

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

  28. 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

  29. 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 2009-10: 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

  30. 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.

  31. RaceMatters 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

  32. RaceMatters 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.

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

  34. RaceMatters What states have Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC)?

  35. RaceMatters All of them

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

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

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

  39. RaceMatters Why are there more kids of colorin the juvenile justice system?

  40. RaceMatters Why are there more kids of colorin the juvenile justice system? Do kids of color commit more crimethan white kids?

  41. RaceMatters Why are there more kids of colorin the juvenile justice system? Do kids of color commit more crimethan 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.

  42. Race Matters Why are there more kids of colorin the juvenile justice system? Is Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) a result of poverty?

  43. Race Matters Why are there more kids of colorin 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.

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

  45. Race Matters Why are there more kids of colorin 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.

  46. 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

  47. Race Matters The data covers a sampling of police cases from 2005-2006, juvenile court recordsfrom 2006 and Department of Children and Families records from 2005-2007.

  48. Race Matters The data covers a sampling of police cases from 2005-2006, juvenile court recordsfrom 2006 and Department of Children and Families records from 2005-2007.

  49. 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.

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