Connecticut Institute for Youth and Police Relations

Connecticut has led the way nationally in implementing reforms at various levels of youths’ points of contact with the juvenile justice system. Despite statewide efforts towards juvenile justice reform, the reality is that there remains much more work in guiding police to adopting 21st century policing approaches with youth. Youth policing requires specialized skills, and comprehension of youth development, as well as understanding the impact of trauma on youth and families, implicit bias and many other skills not covered as part of the Police Officers Standards and Training Council (POST).  In Connecticut, only three hours of youth justice are covered as part of the curriculum.