When youth of color from poor neighborhoods get in trouble at school, they often are suspended or expelled. When they encounter law enforcement, they often go to detention and jail. When youth from affluent neighborhoods have similar issues they are treated differently.
Shouldn’t all children be treated alike?
The breadth of the challenges faced by youth who become enmeshed in the justice system are far greater than those of others.
Sadly, the U.S. incarcerates more youth under age 18 than any other country in the world, decreasing the chances that these young people will grow up to be productive participants in society.
In 1999, The Tow Foundation decided that the disparity in treatment and outcomes for the juvenile justice population in Connecticut was an area where their investments could have tremendous impact.
With early and annual investments since that time in nonprofits that serve this population and a key partner, the Connecticut Juvenile Justice Alliance, there has been an overwhelming shift in the policies, practices, and attitudes.
The results are a major decrease in the number of youth in the justice system and more effective support services in the community to help them turn their lives around. Juvenile court referrals have dropped by 26 percent and the number of juveniles who have been removed from their homes on delinquency charges have dropped by 60 percent since 1999.
The Alliance was founded in 2001 by The Tow Foundation and three partnering nonprofit advocacy groups. It is now recognized by policymakers and the public as the go-to organization in Connecticut on issues relating to youth involved with the law.
Because of its leadership, research and organizing skills, it was successful in forcing the state of Connecticut to adopt a comprehensive juvenile justice plan that emphasizes rehabilitation and community-based support services, pass a law that will raise the age of juvenile jurisdiction from 16 to 18, and pass a law to reduce the use of out-of-school suspensions.
The successes of the coalition has caught the eye of national and state-based advocates, who are using the Connecticut successes as models for juvenile justice reform work in other states and at the national level and have brought in new local and national funders.