Title: Bridgeport Detention Center:
1Bridgeport Detention Center
Is an 88-bed Jail the Best Plan for Bridgeports
Young People?
Fernando J. Muñiz Executive Director
2About the Connecticut Juvenile Justice Alliance
- The Alliance was founded in 2001 by RYASAP, the
Center for Childrens Advocacy, Connecticut
Voices for Children and the Tow Foundation. - Our mission is to promote a safe, effective and
equitable service continuum for children and
adolescents involved in, or at risk of
involvement in, the juvenile justice system.
3How does the juvenile justice system work in
Connecticut?
4Overview of the System
Connecticut's juvenile justice system is a
statewide system of juvenile courts, detention
centers, private residential facilities and
juvenile correctional facilities.
- 13 Juvenile Courts (Superior Court, Juvenile
Matters) - 3 Public Juvenile Detention Centers (Hartford,
Bridgeport, New Haven) - Private residential facilities
- Community-based programs
- Correctional facilities
5Age of Jurisdiction
In Connecticut, delinquents are persons who,
prior to their sixteenth birthdays, have violated
or attempted to violate any federal or state law,
order of the Superior Court, or any local or
municipal ordinance.
DID YOU KNOW? Only Connecticut, New York and
North Carolina have 15 as the upper age of
jurisdiction for juvenile matters. The other 47
states set 16 or 17 as the upper age of
jurisdiction for juvenile matters.
6Law Enforcement Response
1. Issue a warning and release the juvenile.
2. Confer with parents and release the juvenile.
Initial Contact
3. Make a referral to a community-based
organization.
4. Make a referral to formal diversion services,
where available (JRB, YSB, etc.).
5. MAKE AN ARREST.
7Decision-Making Points in the Juvenile Justice
System
Make an Arrest ?
Juvenile Detention ?
Adult System ?
Formal Handling ?
Adjudication ?
Disposition ?
8What is a Detention Center, anyway?
9Purpose of Detention
- a strong probability that the child will run away
prior to court hearing or disposition, - a strong probability that the child will commit
or attempt to commit other offenses injurious to
him or to the community before court disposition,
- probable cause to believe that the child's
continued residence in his home pending
disposition will not safeguard the best interests
of the child or the community because of the
serious and dangerous nature of the act or acts
he is alleged to have committed, - a need to hold the child for another jurisdiction
or - a need to hold the child to assure his appearance
before the court, in view of his previous failure
to respond to the court process.
In the adult system, we would call this facility
a JAIL.
Connecticut General Statutes Section 46b-133.
10Who are the Kids in Detention?
- Only 21 of children in detention are serious
juvenile offenders - More than 60 of children on probation or in
detention are there for violating a court or
take-into-custody order - Almost 50 of children in detention have mental
health problems - 65 of the children in detention have been
involved with drugs - 78 of children in detention are
African-American or Latino. - Bridgeport Juvenile Justice Task Force
- Who are the Children in the juvenile justice
system? A Snapshot of the Bridgeport Juvenile
Court, 2002
11Proposed Bridgeport Facility
- New courthouse for juvenile matters
- 44 secure rooms expandable to 88 beds
- Total construction costs to exceed 55 million
12Do we need 88 beds in the new Bridgeport
Detention Center?
13Juvenile Arrest Rates, Ffld County
Murder Down
50.0 Robbery Down 42.6 Aggravated
Assault Down 32.0 Burglary Down
69.8 Larceny/Theft Down 42.1 Motor Vehicle
Theft Down 69.0 Arson Down
77.1 Vandalism Down 60.6 Weapons Down
71.0 Drug Violations Down 48.6
The Property Crime Index went down 51.67 from
1994 to 2001. The Violent Crime Index went down
34.04 from 1994 to 2001. The Total Crimes Index
went down 48.5 from 1994 to 2001.
Snyder, H., Puzzanchera, C., Kang, W. (2003)
Easy Access to FBI Arrest Statistics 1994-2001
Online. Available http//ojjdp.ncjrs.org/ojstabb/
ezaucr
14We dont need 88 beds!
- According to the FBI, juvenile crime in Fairfield
County has decreased nearly 50 since 1997. - According to OJJDP, Connecticuts juvenile
population is expected to decrease by 2 by the
year 2015 - The current detention center has a capacity of 24
youth - The population in Bridgeport detention has ranged
from 8 to 25 youth during 2004 - Average length of stay and average daily
population in Connecticuts detention centers are
down over the past 5 years.
OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book. Online.
Available http//ojjdp.ncjrs.org/ojstatbb/populat
ion/qa01102.asp?qaDate19990930. September 30,
1999.
15But what if someday we need more space to
accommodate overcrowding?
16The Common Sense Test
- Run to the hardware store and buy a sump pump.
- Try to find the source of the leak.
- Take out a second mortgage and make the basement
bigger to accommodate the inflow of water.
17Expert Opinion on Expanding Detention Capacity
- "You cannot build your way out of overcrowding.
Ultimately, how many beds you need and don't need
depends on policy and program choices.
Connecticut is going to be doubling its detention
capacity at the same time the juvenile crime rate
is going down. The supposed correlation between
incarceration and reducing crime is mainly a
myth." - - Bart Lubow, Senior Associate,
- Annie E. Casey Foundation, January 2002