Opinion: What happens next for CT’s kids is up to us

Every kid makes mistakes. What happens next is up to us.

Last Tuesday, the state Senate unanimously passed SB 1542, a bill that would limit the use of handcuffs and restraints on children. As the legislative session nears its close, what happens next now rests with Connecticut’s House of Representatives and, hopefully soon, Gov. Ned Lamont.

Among northeastern states, Connecticut is uniquely harsh in its treatment of children. We are the only state in the region that allows fourth-graders (kids as young as ten) to be arrested and ushered into the legal system. Law enforcement has wide latitude to handcuff children — even those who have not been charged with a crime. Kids who get arrested can be held in detention before ever seeing a judge, and be bound by mechanical restraints in the courtroom. 

Our organization, The Connecticut Justice Alliance, works directly with young people impacted by the justice system. Our justice advisors provide valuable insight into the faults and failures of the system, and how it should change to better help the kids who encounter it. Many of them testified in support of this bill in front of the legislature’s Judiciary Committee this spring. We also hold conversations with incarcerated youth inside Manson Youth Institution, a children’s prison in Cheshire.  

Those young people reached the same conclusion as years of quantitative data and academic research: to help children change their behavior, they need to be treated like children.  

They say it takes a village to raise a child. We are that village.  

The unfortunate reality is that most offenses by kids stem from failures by adults and a lack of attention to the root causes of their struggles. From instability at home, violence in their communities, a lack of access to essential resources including food and medicine, addiction and mental health struggles, collectively we are failing to provide the support needed to set kids up for success.  

In prioritizing retribution above rehabilitation, we are setting them up for failure while weakening our overarching goals of improving local communities and strengthening public safety.  

The current rules make it more likely that kids interacting with our legal system now will commit criminal offenses as adults. It is self-fulfilling. It is a message to kids that we’ve given up trying to help and no longer view them as worthy of the effort. 

Originally, SB 1542 included a provision to raise the minimum age of arrest. That change was removed during negotiations, but it remains essential to our long-term goal of keeping kids out of the justice system entirely by investing in their education, well-being, and the health of their families and communities. Prevention is an investment in kids’ futures. It is more effective, costs less, and upholds our obligation as adults to make good decisions on behalf of children. When kids are supported early, they’re far less likely to end up in trouble later. 

Passing SB 1542 is an important step in the larger effort to steer kids toward better futures and away from courtrooms and cells. No child is disposable. We need policies that reflect that. 

In our sessions with incarcerated youth, we have noticed that they still think about what’s best for their communities back home. Many are working with us because they want other kids to avoid the mistakes they made and chart a better future for themselves. Kids deserve to see their state government demonstrate that same commitment. 

What happens next is in our hands. We urge lawmakers to pass SB 1542 and take this meaningful step toward a better future for Connecticut’s kids.

Christina Quaranta is Executive Director of the Connecticut Justice Alliance.