Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 815t - Juvenile Matters
Section 46b-148. (Formerly Sec. 51-329). - Child from family with service needs not to be held in juvenile residential center or convicted as delinquent for violation of court order re future conduct. Court determination re placement or commitment of...

(a) Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter: (1) No child who has been adjudicated as a child from a family with service needs in accordance with section 46b-149 may be processed or held in a juvenile residential center as a delinquent child, or be convicted as delinquent, solely for the violation of a valid order which regulates future conduct of the child that was issued by the court following such an adjudication; and (2) no such child who is found to be in violation of any such order may be punished for such violation by placement in any juvenile residential center.

(b) In entering any order that directs or authorizes placement or commitment of a child who has been adjudicated as a child from a family with service needs in accordance with section 46b-149, the court shall make a determination that there is no less restrictive alternative appropriate to the needs of such child and the community.
(1949 Rev., S. 2819; P.A. 76-436, S. 33, 681; P.A. 82-335; P.A. 85-226, S. 2; P.A. 89-273, S. 7; P.A. 98-183, S. 4; P.A. 02-132, S. 26; P.A. 05-250, S. 2; P.A. 08-86, S. 1; P.A. 21-104, S. 33.)
History: P.A. 76-436 specified applicability to enforcement of orders “in connection with any juvenile matter”, effective July 1, 1978; Sec. 17-74 temporarily renumbered as Sec. 51-329 and ultimately transferred to Sec. 46b-148 in 1979; P.A. 82-335 added Subsecs. (b) to (d) to provide procedure for enforcement of court order violated by child of family with service needs, including petition, summons, custody, bail, release, hearing and detention; P.A. 85-226 amended Subsec. (b) by adding provision re processing child as delinquent who violates valid court order which regulates future conduct of the child and deleted former Subsecs. (c) and (d) re procedures for taking custody of child and time limits for holding child in detention; P.A. 89-273 deleted Subsec. (a) re the authority of the court to enforce its orders in connection with any juvenile matter and reenacted such provision as part of Sec. 46b-121, and made a technical change in remaining provisions; P.A. 98-183 deleted “disposition of placement in a state-operated detention facility, Long Lane School or any other secure facility” and substituted “placement in a facility under the auspices of the Office of Alternative Sanctions or commitment to the Department of Children and Families”; P.A. 02-132 replaced “Office of Alternative Sanctions” with “Court Support Services Division”; P.A. 05-250 replaced former provisions with Subsec. (a) prohibiting child of family with service needs from being held in detention or convicted as delinquent solely for violation of court order and Subsec. (b) re determination to be made by court in entering placement or commitment order for such child, effective October 1, 2007; P.A. 08-86 substituted child “adjudicated as a child from a family with service needs” for child “whose family has been adjudicated as a family with service needs” and, in Subsec. (a)(2), substituted “placement in” for “commitment to” re juvenile detention center; P.A. 21-104 amended Subsec. (a) to replace “juvenile detention center” with “juvenile residential center”, effective January 1, 2022.