Raising the Age of Juvenile Court in Connecticut

The Program in Criminal Justice Policy and Management (PCJ) hosted a special gathering with an innovative public servant, the Honorable Dannel P. Malloy, Governor of the State of Connecticut on January 25, 2016. PCJ Senior Research Fellow Vincent Schiraldi moderated the discussion of a new proposal for Young Adult Justice to over 100 guests in the Wiener Auditorium at Harvard Kennedy School (HKS).

About this topic: In November during his speech at the University of Connecticut Law School, Governor Dannel P. Malloy proposed that his state of Connecticut raise the age of juvenile court jurisdiction through age 20, and that a separate process be developed for handing cases for defendants and offenders under the age of 25. His proposal mirrors recommendations by Harvard Kennedy School researchers, and if enacted, would make Connecticut the first state in US history to raise the age of juvenile, or family, court jurisdiction beyond age 18.

This event was sponsored by the Program in Criminal Justice Policy and Management (Harvard Kennedy School), Malcolm Wiener Center for Social Policy (HKS), Criminal Justice Professional Interest Council (HKS), Criminal Justice Program of Study, Research & Advocacy (Harvard Law School),Center for Law, Brain, and Behavior (Massachusetts General Hospital),Harvard Undergraduate Organization for Prison Education and Reform(HOPE), MassINC, and Citizens for Juvenile Justice (CfJJ).

We invite you to continue the conversation about #YoungAdultJustice