Sec. 46b-121h. Goals of juvenile justice system. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 46b-121h. Goals of juvenile justice system. It is the intent of the General Assembly that the juvenile justice system provide individualized supervision, care, accountability and treatment in a manner consistent with public safety to those juveniles who violate the law. The juvenile justice system shall also promote prevention efforts through the support of programs and services designed to meet the needs of juveniles charged with the commission of a delinquent act. The goals of the juvenile justice system shall be to:

      (1) Hold juveniles accountable for their unlawful behavior;

      (2) Provide secure and therapeutic confinement to those juveniles who present a danger to the community;

      (3) Adequately protect the community and juveniles;

      (4) Provide programs and services that are community-based and are provided in close proximity to the juvenile's community;

      (5) Retain and support juveniles within their homes whenever possible and appropriate;

      (6) Base probation treatment planning upon individual case management plans;

      (7) Include the juvenile's family in the case management plan;

      (8) Provide supervision and service coordination where appropriate and implement and monitor the case management plan in order to discourage reoffending;

      (9) Provide follow-up and nonresidential postrelease services to juveniles who are returned to their families or communities;

      (10) Promote the development and implementation of community-based programs including, but not limited to, mental health services, designed to prevent unlawful behavior and to effectively minimize the depth and duration of the juvenile's involvement in the juvenile justice system; and

      (11) Create and maintain programs for juvenile offenders that are gender specific in that they comprehensively address the unique needs of a targeted gender group.

      (P.A. 95-225, S. 1, 52; P.A. 01-181, S. 2.)

      History: P.A. 95-225 effective July 1, 1996; P.A. 01-181 amended Subdiv. (10) by adding "including, but not limited to, mental health services" and added Subdiv. (11) re creation and maintenance of programs for juvenile offenders that are gender specific.