Priority: Youth Leadership

Amplify Youth Voices & Power

Nothing about us without us. CTJA is organizing to shift young people from passive subjects of policy into active participants in oversight, legislation, and community strategy. The people most affected by the system should lead the change.

As a Justice Advisor, I learned that social justice issues are more complex than they seem… I believe change requires collaboration between advocates, policymakers, authorities, and the community. All parts must work together.
Fernecia Smith, former CTJA Justice Advisor

Background

Policy is too often developed about young people rather than with them. That is especially true for Black & Latino youth disproportionately impacted by Connecticut’s legal system.

CTJA operates from a different premise: lived experience is expertise, and the people most affected must help design reform.

Our Justice Advisors model engages young leaders impacted by the legal system in shaping the policies that shape their lives. Justice Advisors testify before lawmakers, conduct research, lead Vision Sessions in their communities, and help set CTJA’s reform priorities.

Through these conversations, young people have identified the root causes of youth criminalization. These insights are captured in CTJA’s 7 Themes of System Change, a framework that guides the organization’s campaigns, messaging, and policy priorities.

In order to truly engage young people in the movement to end the criminalization of youth, their participation cannot be symbolic. Instead, it must be structured, compensated, and tied to real decision-making authority.

Here’s how we move Connecticut forward.

Solutions

Embed system-impacted youth in oversight bodies

Connecticut’s Juvenile Justice Policy and Oversight Committee includes a seat for a system-impacted young person. That model should be standard practice. Decisions about young people are stronger when made with young people who understand the system from the inside. We advocate for expanded youth representation across boards, committees, and advisory bodies.

Require meaningful youth participation in policymaking

Too often, policy that affects young people is written without them. Meaningful participation is not symbolic. It means structured roles in legislative, budgeting, and policymaking processes, compensation for the time and expertise young people bring, and real authority to shape outcomes. We are bringing youth voices to the table and making sure Connecticut lawmakers hear them loud and clear.

Build civic leadership pathways for young people

Civic leadership is built through experience, but most young people are never given the opportunity to develop it. CTJA is building those pathways now, including inside Manson Youth Institution. The state should prioritize civic leadership development as a standard part of youth programming, including within facilities. We are pushing to make these opportunities available to every young person.

Ensure safe participation for youth in state custody

Young people in state custody should not have to risk retaliation to speak about their experiences. When youth testify or organize, they can face loss of privileges, restrictions on communication, or retaliation from staff. CTJA is working for protections that allow young people to participate safely in reform efforts without fear of consequences.

Make system impact a pathway to leadership

Young people who have experienced the legal system are uniquely positioned to help transform it. Connecticut should invest in pathways that allow system-impacted youth to become mentors, advocates, and leaders. We need funding, training, and long-term opportunities that support that transition.