DMC Reduction Project - Connecticut

With support from the Tow Foundation, CCLP has been working on effective strategies to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in Connecticut since April 2011.

Connecticut, like other states, faces the over-representation of youth of color in the juvenile justice system. The state's Office of Policy and Management conducted studies of over-representation for the state in 1995, 2001, and 2009. Those studies demonstrated that racial and ethnic disparities existed at particular points in the state’s juvenile justice system, notably at arrest, detention, and placement. For example, in 2009, African American youth comprised just 12% of Connecticut's youth population, but they represented 30% of detention admissions and 50% of admissions to the state's detention centers and its training school. The disparity also exists for Latino youth, who represent 15% of the youth population but almost 30% of admissions to the state's training school.

In partnership with the Center for Children’s Advocacy, a Connecticut-based advocacy organization, CCLP staff are meeting regularly with stakeholders in Bridgeport and Hartford to obtain and analyze data, identify strategies to reduce racial and ethnic disparities, and monitor implementation of reforms. For more information on the project, click here.