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CTJA announces youth justice priorities for 2025 legislative session

Juvenile offenders file in for lunch.
MATT HOUSTON
/
AP
Juvenile offenders file in for lunch.

The Connecticut Justice Alliance is outlining its top priorities for the 2025 legislative session.

This week, the youth justice advocacy group released its annual State of Youth Justice Report, which outlines priorities for the next legislative session.

The group said its overall goal is to end the criminalization of youth through advocacy, policy and organizing tools to protect their rights. In the past few years, they have worked to support legislation to protect the well-being of young people.

One of their goals this year is to raise the minimum age of arrest in Connecticut. Jordyn Wilson, the alliance's director of community, said the group has been successful in raising the minimum age to 10 years old in the past.

“Prior to that age, you could be arrested in Connecticut as young as seven. So that age has been increased to 10,” Wilson said.

Wilson said the group’s goal for 2025 is to raise the minimum age of arrest to 12. She said they hope to raise it again to 14 in the coming years.

CTJA stated it also wants to support legislation that would keep young people out of adult correctional facilities. They said youth face heightened risks of harm and limited access to rehabilitative resources. Wilson said the group wants to put an end to what they call harmful practices like solitary confinement, restraints, and chemical agents.

In September, the U.S. Justice Department reached an agreement with the state Department of Correction after an investigation of the Manson Youth Institution, an adult facility that houses children located in Cheshire.

The decision resulted in the institution agreeing to no longer use solitary isolation to discipline children or manage children's behavior in its custody. The investigation concluded that the institution failed to provide children with age-appropriate services, which included educational and mental health services required by law.

Wilson said CTJA wants to ensure youth are placed in age-appropriate and supportive environments. She said the change would require investments in spaces specifically for troubled youth. Wilson said they are in talks with state leaders to provide alternative placement and even community-based programs for rehabilitation.

“Those conversations that are being had is a step in the right direction,” Wilson said.“It’s great that the state is looking at alternatives and potential locations to help our young people. We don't believe that it should be a youth prison.”

Executive Director Christina Quaranta said these outlined priorities are essential steps in a statement released with the report. She said the legal system should prioritize growth and opportunity over punishment.

“These are not just policies—they’re commitments to protect and uplift our youth, ensuring that they are met with compassion, respect, and the support they need to thrive," Quaranta said.

For more information about the Connecticut Justice Alliance, visit ctja.org.

Jeniece Roman is a reporter with WSHU, who is interested in writing about Indigenous communities in southern New England and Long Island, New York.