|
Court
Support Services Division and Department
of Children and Families |
October 6, 2006
Dear Partners,
The Department of Children and Families and the Court Support
Services Division of the Judicial Branch are proud to announce the release of
the Connecticut Juvenile Justice Strategic Plan. We want to thank you for your tireless contribution
to this significant accomplishment for the juvenile justice system in
This work represents the first ever comprehensive juvenile
justice plan that spans both branches of government, multiple systems, agencies
and partners. The joint strategic plan represents our best effort
to develop collaborative working relationships between state agencies,
families, providers and communities for the improvement of processes and
services for a coordinated response to better serve children, youth and
families involved in, or at-risk for involvement with, the justice system. The
goals and strategies developed in conjunction with you and many other public
and private stakeholders will guide the
While the Court Support Services
Division and the Department of Children and Families initiated the strategic
planning process to improve interagency collaboration and the effectiveness and
efficiency of services for children already referred to the juvenile justice
system, the feedback from the Community Listening Sessions redirected the
planning process to incorporate a focus on prevention and keeping children out
of the juvenile justice system by effectively collaborating with parents, schools,
police and service providers at the local community level. We hope that the plan adequately reflects the
passion, commitment and contribution of everyone who worked so diligently to
develop a meaningful strategy for
The Connecticut Juvenile Justice
Strategic Plan focuses on the following:
o
One vision,
mission and set of guiding principles for the juvenile justice system.
o
Partnership
with families, communities and schools with the goal of reducing the numbers of
children coming in to the juvenile justice system and better serving those who
do through earlier intervention, timely access to services and the sharing of
pertinent information, as allowed by law.
o
Balancing
the needs of children and youth as they mature, building competencies for a successful
transition into adulthood, accountability for behavior, and the protection of
the community.
o
The commitment
of the DCF and CSSD to reduce the need for costly out-of-home placements by
providing better access to clinical consultation, evidence-based services and
well-trained staff committed to the core values represented in the plan.
o
Strategically
targeted action strategies to make the greatest impact on the overall
functioning of the juvenile justice system.
o
Acknowledgement
that girls and boys enter the juvenile justice system for different reasons and
require different responses and interventions based on gender.
o
A critical
partnership between the DCF, CSSD and the State Department of Education to
support relationships in local communities between police, juvenile court,
probation, child welfare, schools, parole, and service providers.
o
Agreement on
the goals for the system including:
§
Reducing the
number of children entering the juvenile justice system.
§
Eliminating
overrepresentation of children and youth of color in the juvenile justice
system.
§
Improving
outcomes for children already involved in the juvenile justice system through
the development and enhancement of programs, policies and procedures.
§
Partnership
with parents in service planning.
§
Partnership
with education professionals to address disruptive behaviors in schools so to
avoid court involvement, when appropriate.
§
Improving
services for status offenders in order to prevent the development of delinquent
behavior.
§
Statutes,
agency policy, regulations and procedures that support coordinated services and
system functioning.
§
Confidentiality
laws and regulations that are understood and adhered to, while at the same time
allow for the sharing of appropriate information as the law allows so to make
better decisions and implement better interventions.
§
Using data
to inform management decisions and guide resource development and service
delivery.
§
Strengthening
the workforce and its cultural competence in order to improve the effectiveness
of services.
§
Maximizing
the efficiency of state dollars by sharing resources whenever possible.
The next steps for the
implementation of the Connecticut Juvenile Justice Strategic Plan include the
development of the Implementation Plan which will outline the concrete
timelines for each initiative, the responsible individuals, the development of
performance outcome measures, and the identification of funding sources, as
necessary, to begin the implementation of the action strategies outlined in the
plan. A joint budget option will be
submitted by the two agencies to support the implementation of Year One
strategies. An initial meeting has
occurred with representative stakeholders to outline the budget request. The final request, which should be submitted
by the end of September, will be shared with you.
If you have any comments or
questions, please feel free to contact Anne McIntyre-Lahner (860-638-2415 or
anne.mcintyre-lahner@po.state.ct.us) or you can contact Rena Goldwasser
(860-721-2178 or
Again, thank you for your
contribution and commitment to the
Yours truly,
William H. Carbone, Executive Director Darlene Dunbar, Commissioner
Judicial Branch, Court Support Services Division Department of Children and Families