The Connecticut’s Department of Children and Families recently opened a new locked facility for young women involved in its juvenile justice system.
CT Voices for Children released a statement today urging the state and DCF to ensure that the Pueblo facility is used safely and appropriately.
CT Voices has testified ongoing concerns about this type of facility because research shows that it may not be the most effective way to treat girls involved with the juvenile justice system. Research finds these young people need comprehensive services in their communities and families.
The national trend in juvenile justice reform has moved away from secure facilities to therapeutic services, Voices says, and CT has been a leader in this approach as well as reducing the number of youth in jails and expanding services for girls.
Voices’ recommendations for the operation of the new facility include:
- Use only for the most high-risk population.
- Expand community-based services for girls as alternatives to locked facilities.
- Department should better measure and track outcomes for youth in its care, by increasing its capacity for data collection, program evaluation, and quality assurance