Connecticut Justice Alliance calls on state to tackle root causes of crime

BRIDGEPORT — Two years after launching a campaign to end the criminalization of young people, the Connecticut Justice Alliance is again urging state and local officials to tackle the root causes of crime by funding social services.

A new report released earlier this week by the alliance also calls on leaders to eliminate racial disparities in the legal system, bridge the generational divide over what causes crime and address the over-reliance on police to maintain order, particularly in communities of color.

“Connecticut, despite being further along the track to transform its legal systems than many other states, still has a lot of work to do,” the 26-page report states. “The dark cloud of racism that is ever present in systems of oppression, leads to a lack of funding, defunding, or completely not funding initiatives that address the root cause of crime in our communities.”

The report argues that crimes committed by young people are often the result of housing and food insecurity, a lack of community services and a punitive legal system that is more interested in handing down punishments than offering a path to rehabilitation.

The alliance's ongoing campaign is aimed at reducing the number of young people who become ensnared in the system and face the prospect of being confined in a cell at an adult prison, according to Jordyn Wilson, a community connections associate with the alliance.

“We believe that there are alternatives that can meet the needs of our young people,” Wilson said. “Prisons are not rehabilitative, especially the adult prison system. They do not have the proper resources to meet the needs of children.”

In 2021, Connecticut officials locked up nearly 300 children in detention centers and another 37 in state youth prisons, according to the report. More than half of those admitted were Black.

Wilson said the alliance advocates that children charged with serious offenses be placed in a supportive facility outside the prison system, provided the appropriate resources and education and then allowed to return to their homes.

“As an organization, we look at consequences differently and we look at accountability differently,” she said. “Consequences should be teaching you a skill, not punishing you. There shouldn't be any harm in accountability.” The alliance's recent report builds on the findings of a study released in 2020 when the group was known as the Connecticut Juvenile Justice Alliance. Among other things, the initial report called on local officials to stamp out racial inequities in housing and unemployment and fund mental health support services.

Both reports were based in part on a series of “vision sessions” held across the state with young people impacted by the criminal justice system. The new findings also include input from school resource officers, legislative work groups and community members.

The sessions revealed that the participants cared deeply about rooting out racial inequalities in the criminal justice system, including the fact that Black youth are more than 10 times as likely to be incarcerated as their white peers in Connecticut, according to The Sentencing Project.

They also want to see a reduction in “the over-reliance on policing” in communities that have traditionally been underserved by social services, including in school settings.

“The overall role of police in schools is to protect the school, yet school staff members have become reliant on police disciplining children for normal behavior instead of using restorative tools that do not involve police contact,” the report states.

A key barrier to introducing policy changes, according to the report, is a divide between young people and adults over what leads to criminal activity and how to prevent future offenses.

The sessions showed some adult participants attributed crime to gang initiations and peer pressure instead of poverty. Ultimately, however, most participants reached a consensus after speaking about their personal experiences together for a couple of hours.

Wilson said the alliance hopes to bridge the generational divide by continuing to speak to young people and other residents across the state. A new round of vision sessions featuring a wide range of participants took place this week in New Haven, Norwalk and Waterbury.

“There's a lot that needs to happen to change policy in Connecticut and it starts with these conversations,” Wilson said. “We need to listen to young people because they will tell you exactly what it is that they need.”

Those interested in learning more about the Connecticut Justice Alliance can visit their website at ctja.org.