Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 815t - Juvenile Matters
Section 46b-121h. - Goals of juvenile justice system.

It is the intent of the General Assembly that the juvenile justice system provide individualized supervision, care, accountability and treatment in a manner consistent with public safety to those juveniles who violate the law. The juvenile justice system shall also promote prevention efforts through the support of programs and services designed to prevent re-offending. The goals of the juvenile justice system shall be to:

(1) Hold juveniles accountable for their unlawful behavior;
(2) Provide secure and therapeutic confinement to those juveniles who present a danger to the community;
(3) Adequately protect the community and juveniles;
(4) Provide programs and services that are community-based and in close proximity to the juvenile's community;
(5) Maintain and support juveniles within their homes whenever possible and appropriate;
(6) Base probation case planning upon individual risks and needs;
(7) Include the juvenile's family in case planning;
(8) Provide supervision and service coordination where appropriate and implement and monitor the case plan in order to discourage reoffending;
(9) Provide follow-up and community-based services to juveniles who are returned to their families or communities;
(10) Promote the development and implementation of community-based programs designed to prevent reoffending and to effectively minimize the depth and duration of the juvenile's involvement in the juvenile justice system; and
(11) Create and maintain programs for juveniles that (A) are developmentally appropriate, trauma informed and gender responsive, and (B) incorporate restorative principles and practices.
(P.A. 95-225, S. 1, 52; P.A. 01-181, S. 2; P.A. 18-31, S. 28.)
History: P.A. 95-225 effective July 1, 1996; P.A. 01-181 amended Subdiv. (10) by adding “including, but not limited to, mental health services” and added Subdiv. (11) re creation and maintenance of programs for juvenile offenders that are gender specific; P.A. 18-31 replaced provision re needs of juveniles charged with delinquent act with provision re preventing re-offending, amended Subdiv. (5) by replacing “retain” with “maintain”, amended Subdiv. (6) by replacing “treatment planning upon individual case management plans” with “case planning upon individual risks and needs”, amended Subdiv. (7) by replacing “case management plan” with “case planning”, amended Subdiv (8) by replacing “case management plan” with “case plan”, amended Subdiv. (9) by replacing “nonresidential postrelease” with “community-based”, amended Subdiv. (10) by deleting reference to mental health services and replacing “unlawful behavior” with “reoffending”, amended Subdiv. (11) by deleting provision re gender specific programs, adding Subpara. (A) re programs that are developmentally appropriate, trauma informed and gender responsive and adding Subpara. (B) re programs that incorporate restorative principles and practices, and made technical changes, effective July 1, 2018.

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