August 10, 2021

Rep. Howard, House Republicans Renew Bi-Partisan Call for Action on Juvenile Justice Reform, Issue Package of Policies

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HARTFORD—The continuing flow of alarming crimes committed by teenagers, from shots fired at property owners to stealing vehicles with children inside, prompted State Rep. Greg Howard (R-43) and his House Republican colleagues Tuesday, to unveil proposed statutory and policy changes aimed at curbing a crisis that has residents throughout Connecticut clamoring for reforms to the state’s juvenile justice system.

“Legislative leaders have been in negotiations for weeks and now is the time to act. The public, especially in my district of Stonington and North Stonington, is demanding action to stem the rising tide of these thefts and prevent innocent lives from being hurt or even killed,” said Rep. Howard.

State Rep. Jill Barry (D- Glastonbury) who spoke at the press conference said, “This is not party issue, this is a public safety issue, and I stand with my community.”

Juvenile crime was a focus for House Republicans headed into the 2021 legislative session. The session, however, ended without substantial progress in reforming juvenile justice laws. Amid a turbulent period that included a pedestrian being killed and a senior center trashed, House Republicans petitioned for a special legislative session. The House Republican juvenile justice reform package released Tuesday contains proposals focused on prevention, accountability, and rehabilitation.

These 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, a sex assault, offense involving use of a firearm;
Court-ordered Family Support Services intervention at juvenile court arraignments;
Expand circumstances in which a matter is automatically transferred to regular criminal docket;
Create 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 www.stopcarthefts.com

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