The Office of the Child Advocate applauds the announcement by Governor Dannel Malloy of a target-date to close the Connecticut Juvenile Training school. The Governor’s statements (http://ctmirror.org/2015/12/09/malloy-targets-mid-2018-for-closing-juvenile-training-school/) came on the heels of his innovative vision statement for raising the age of juvenile court jurisdiction through age 20 so that the state can further develop its approach to younger and adolescent offenders. Connecticut is a national leader in juvenile and criminal justice reforms, and OCA strongly agrees with the articulated vision for reliable public safety interventions that are less costly and more effective than institutions. The work ahead will be to bring to scale juvenile justice innovations and alternatives to incarceration that support the rehabilitation of youth through treatment, education, family engagement, community supervision, and, where necessary, secure care.



Sarah Healy Eagan, JD
Child Advocate for the State of Connecticut