New Poll: CT Residents Overwhelmingly Favor Youth Justice System Reform

After a year of pandemic, protests, and political strife, America’s divisions are clear, but a new survey reveals that reforming the youth justice system is an issue that brings Connecticut residents together across education and ideological lines. The vast majority of Connecticut residents supports a range of reforms to the youth justice system designed to fundamentally shift focus and resources to prevention and rehabilitation instead of punishment and incarceration.

The survey of 500 adults found:

• Connecticut Residents Do Not Want a Justice System Focused on Punishment and Incarceration: 75% favor a youth justice system that focuses on prevention and rehabilitation

• Strong Support For Proposals To Reform Youth Justice System In Connecticut: Connecticut residents broadly support a wide range of specific policy proposals aimed at reforming the country’s youth justice system into one that focuses on rehabilitation instead of just punitive incarceration policies

• Support For Closing Youth Prisons Is Growing: 63% of Connecticut residents favor closing youth prisons, up from 49% in 2019. After Connecticut residents learn more about the rationale for closing youth prisons, support grows even further—from 63% to 78%.

• Connecticut Residents Favor Federal Incentives And Funding To Aid Youth Justice Reforms: 80% favor Congress providing financial incentives to state and local governments that shift investments away from incarcerating youth and towards community services for youth.

• Majority Supports Releasing Youth In Order To Slow COVID-19 Spread In Youth Prisons: 71% support early release for youths deemed not a threat to public safety to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in youth prisons

• Connecticut Residents Overwhelmingly Believe In Rehabilitation, Counseling, And Giving Youth A Chance To Better Themselves: Both law enforcement households (79%) and non-law enforcement households (83%) believe that rehabilitation is superior to incarceration.

View the full results here.