NCJ Number
165640
Date Published
1996
Length
21 pages
Annotation
Goals of Connecticut's Juvenile Alternative Sanctions Plan are to increase public safety, to help less serious juvenile offenders turn away from crime, and to reserve long-term beds for more serious juvenile offenders.
Abstract
Connecticut's juvenile justice system has more than 9,000 juvenile offenders referred to it annually. Increasingly, juvenile offenders seen in court are charged with serious crimes, are involved with drugs, and have multiple social development problems. The upward trend in violent juvenile crime in Connecticut is consistent with national trends. In response, legislation has been enacted to provide a continuum of carefully monitored, community-based graduated sanctions that hold juvenile offenders accountable for their crimes, provide treatment to reduce recidivism, compensate victims through community service and restitution, and assist in protecting public safety through strict supervision. The Juvenile Alternative Sanctions Plan involves many different programs operated by community agencies. The plan is projected to cost $14.89 million in fiscal year 1996- 1997, $19.09 million in fiscal year 1997-1998, and $20.97 million in fiscal year 1988-1989. A significant portion of the funding to pay for plan initiatives is expected to come from savings derived from reducing the number of institution-based programs. Key points in the plan include court-based assessment, entry-level programs such as mediation and diversion, early intervention and monitoring, intensive case management, residential and nonresidential programming, extended outreach and mentoring, community-based mental health and substance abuse services, staff development and training, and research and evaluation. Appendixes provide additional information on juvenile offenders processed through Connecticut's juvenile justice system, the continuum of alternative juvenile sanctions, and costs of community-based alternative sanction programs. 6 footnotes, 2 tables, 2 figures