Question and Answers Regarding Proposed Juvenile Detention Facility in Tolland

TOLLAND - After raising serious concerns about a recent attempt by the Judicial Branch to bring a juvenile detention facility to Tolland, State Representative Tammy Nuccio formally submitted a detailed list of questions to the Branch seeking clarity on safety, oversight, operations, and community impact. The Judicial Branch has now provided written responses. The purchase of the property for the facility, part of the REGIONS secure residential treatment program, has been temporarily halted while impact studies are conducted.

In the interest of full transparency and keeping residents informed, those questions and answers are provided below in their entirety.

1. What are the program parameters?

The Judicial Branch is responsible for providing a continuum of community-based services and residential programs to serve the juvenile justice population in CT. The Judicial Branch has the statutory responsibility to provide residential (pretrial detention and post-disposition treatment) services to youth who are adjudicated delinquent. The post-disposition treatment programs are referred to as Re-Entry, Goal- orientated, Individualized, Opportunity to Nurture Success (REGIONS). The responsibility for post-disposition treatment of adjudicated delinquents was transferred from the Department of Children and Families to the Judicial Branch effective July 1, 2018 (Public Act 17-2, Sec. 321-323, June Special Session). In the legislation enabling the transfer, the language also calls for the Judicial Branch to operate small close to home residential programs for this population. As part of that responsibility, Judicial must provide a hardware secure level of residential treatment in a smaller and more home-like environment. The Tolland property allows for a secure sixteen to twenty bed REGIONS program, which includes the required therapeutic, clinical, educational, vocational, recreational, and secure outdoor space. The Judicial Branch is working with Connecticut Department of Administrative Services (DAS) towards the acquisition of property.

The Judicial Branch Court Support Services Division (JBCSSD) REGIONS secure residential treatment programs are located at the Bridgeport and Hartford juvenile residential centers, Hamden Community Partners in Action, and at Journey House in Mansfield. The REGIONS secure treatment program model is designed for adolescents on ‘Probation Supervision with Residential Placement’ as ordered by the Superior Court – Juvenile Matters. The focus of the REGIONS program is to provide evidence-based interventions targeting relevant risk factors to decrease the likelihood of recidivism, improve a youth’s well-being, and to support a youth’s coordinated transition back to the community and their long-term success.

Program Overview

•  Program Capacity: 12 to 20 beds.

•  Length of Stay: Approximately 6 - 12 months, contingent upon attainment of treatment goals and not predetermined “time”

•  Juvenile Court Status: Order of Probation Supervision with Residential Placement

•  Staffing: Interdisciplinary treatment team consisting of licensed clinicians, staff/youth mentors, case managers, rehabilitation therapist, psychiatric provider, educators, medical personnel, reintegration mentors, family support specialists, juvenile probation officer, the youth and their family, and the youth’s attorney. Food service and maintenance personnel also support the program.

Therapeutic Interventions

•  Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Treats mental health, trauma, substance use, and management of difficult emotions. DBT engages youth to define a life worth living and to develop needed skills via therapy, skills groups, structure, and coaching.

•  Family Therapy: Improves parent-child relationships

•  Risks & Decisions: Reduces anti-social behavior

•  Psycho-Education Programming: Develops and promotes positive relationships and builds capacity to find self-value

Education & Vocational Programs

• 5.0 hours of instruction per day, 180 days per year

• Differentiated instruction aligned with the Common Core

• Special Education Services and Credit Recovery

• Career and Technical Education (CTE)

• Employment Skills Development and Work Study

• Summer Enrichment program

Programming

• Level System: Motivates commitment to treatment and provides increasing levels of

Responsibility/rewards

• Restorative Practices: Processes used to build community within the program and address harms done to others

• Family Engagement: Family includes supportive individuals in a youth’s life. Families are partners in treatment. Family Support Specialist is assigned to support family in treatment and assist them to meet basic needs. Transportation assistance is provided.

• Recreation: Indoor/outdoor activities, art, music, sports

• Health Services: Pediatrician, nurses, dentist, optometry, specialists as needed, medication as

prescribed, hygiene and healthcare education

• Religious Services: Non-denominational weekly services and specific religious providers as requested

• Basic Needs: 3 meals and 2 snacks per day approved by a certified dietician and served by certified food service staff

Transition Planning

• Step down to Staff Secure REGIONS Program, other appropriate setting, or home with wraparound support and services

• Referral to Multi-Systemic Therapy – Family Integrated Therapy (MST-FIT) or MST – Emerging Adults (MST-EA) and/or other services as appropriate

• District School Planning and Re-Entry Support through DCF Juvenile Justice Education Pupil Services Specialist

• Use of Flex Funds to support basic needs/prosocial activities

Quality Assurance (QA)

• Support Specialist: Central Office staff attends weekly and monthly Multi-Disciplinary Treatment (MDT) meetings, assists with discharge planning, and tracks utilization and progress towards treatment goals and re-entry

• Central Office Clinical Rounds: Independent clinical staff provides treatment plan support and discharge resourcing

• Forensic Psychologist Consultation: Monthly consultation specializing in risk reduction-based treatment planning and interventions, and progress monitoring

• Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI): Independent team conducts medical/mental health audits to ensure high quality services

2. What is the security that will be provided?

The facility will be outfitted with internal and external security hardware to prevent unauthorized entrance and exit. The facility will also be staffed with a robust number of staff to maintain order in the facility, provide treatment, and monitor the external perimeter of the facility. Staff handles all security matters, as they do at the REGIONS program in Hamden, Bridgeport, Hartford, and Mansfield. Community resources (e.g., EMS, fire, police) will only be called upon if an emergency requires such services. Such calls have been few to the other sites.

3. Will these individuals be put into our school system?

No, the residential treatment program will provide education and vocational services on-site. The residential provider will contract with an appropriate education agency to provide services.

4. How many employees will be at the location?

Approximately 70 staff, which includes program manager, assistant program managers, shift supervisors, staff known as youth mentors, rehabilitation therapists, reintegration mentors, family support specialists, chefs, and maintenance staff. Contracted providers, which are not included in this count, will have a five to seven day a week presence including licensed clinicians, medical staff (pediatrician, nurses, psychiatric provider), school principal, and teachers. Additional individual service providers or volunteers may be on site to deliver other services as needed.

5. What are the level of crimes have these individuals committed?

It should be noted that the Judicial Branch is not responsible for the housing or rehabilitation of youth who have been transferred to adult criminal court." The youth who have been ordered to the Hamden REGIONS treatment program have been adjudicated on charges such as Larceny 1st, Robbery 1st and 3rd, and Assault.

6. What are the current issues/successes/process for the other facility in the state?

The REGIONS program at Hamden opened in phases beginning in late 2020. All 16 beds became operational in 2023. The program has continued to develop through continuous quality improvement efforts. The Judicial Branch and its provider partners are committed to delivering services consistent with best practices and national standards and invest every year in continuous training to support the effective implementation of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and program enhancements to make the treatment, education services, and vocational opportunities as robust as possible to support positive outcomes for the youth and the public. A few of the focuses for 2026 include providing dual enrollment opportunities for the students to earn both high school and college credit, increasing vocational opportunities and internship experiences, better coordinating transition supports for the youth’s successful reentry to their community, and the development of data dashboards for routine reporting to interested parties.

7. Will we need to up our Trooper presence in the area?

An increase in Trooper presence is not necessary in this area. The facility is hardware secure and equipped and staffed to prohibit any unauthorized entrance or exit from the facility. Should the youth leave the facility to go to an external appointment, they will be accompanied by staff with appropriate security measures to prohibit absconding.

8. What does this do to the market value of the homes around these types of facilities?

Similar to any new development project, the impact to abutting property is unknown.

9. Is this allowed in our current planning code?

The Tolland Zoning Regulations state that the property is currently zoned TCZ – Tolland Commercial Zone. This zone allows for “Child-Adult Day Care – Group Day - Care Homes” as a permitted use.

10. Does this have to come before our current planning and zoning for approval?

The state is not subject to local zoning regulations.

11. Are neighbors notified of the potential prior to the sale?

This typically does not occur based on contractual obligations.