ACLU of ConnecticutKonto zweryfikowane

Today, we're testifying against S.B. 187, a cruel and dangerous bill that would take Connecticut backward, undermine children’s wellbeing, and jeopardize public safety. #ctleg https://www.acluct.org/en/legislation/sb-187-act-concerning-transfer-child-charged-certain-offenses-criminal-docket-and …

This bill relies on a failed 1980s approach to justice. It would criminalize children who're in crisis, allow the state to imprison children as young as 14 in adult facilities, and tie judges' hands by requiring them to automatically transfer some children to adult court & jail.

A child who is experiencing a mental health crisis needs healthcare, not prison. A child who is unsafe at home needs safe, supportive shelter, not a correctional facility. Contrary to what this bill proposes, incarceration is not an appropriate response to a suffering child.

Children are not miniature adults. Their brains are still developing, and adult courts, adult prisons, and adult jails are not equipped to handle these needs.