State Reps. Kathy Kennedy and Charles Ferraro joined their colleagues Aug. 10 in backing a list of specific policies they’ve identified to reform the state’s juvenile justice laws and seek accountability from juvenile offenders.
During a news conference on the north steps of the state Capitol in Hartford, House Republicans listed over a dozen statutory and policy changes they would make, centered around three core principles: prevention, accountability and rehabilitation.
“Milford has been hit hard with these car thefts, including my own neighborhood, I am advocating on behalf of victims who feel like they have been personally violated,” Kennedy said. “That is why I am calling for stronger repercussions for repeat offenders. If we want to reduce the crime rate in our state and put these individuals on the right path, we cannot be passive. We must act, and we must send a strong message that breaking the law will not be tolerated.”
“Our juvenile justice system is not only failing the residents of Connecticut, but it is also failing the youths who are committing these crimes,” Ferraro said. “We need to process to evaluate these juvenile offenders to see what services can be given to them or if a DCF referral is appropriate.”
The representatives, who are in the Republican minority, called on their colleagues on the other side of the aisle to convene a special session in order continue these discussions and finally address the issue.
The proposed reforms include implementing victim impact panels and juvenile delinquency hearings; electronic monitoring for juveniles arrested while awaiting trial on previous offenses; expedited arraignment for felonies, sex assaults and offenses involving use of a firearm; court-ordered family support services intervention at juvenile court arraignments; expansion of the circumstances in which a matter is automatically transferred to regular criminal docket; and the creation of a new offense of “larceny of a motor vehicle” not tied to the value of the vehicle.
More proposals, with greater detail, can be found at stopcarthefts.com.