Raise the Age of Arrest in Connecticut to 14

Connecticut children as young as 10 can be and are arrested and sent to court.
In 2019, nearly 100 children between the ages of 7 and 12 were arrested and sent to court.

In 2019 the United Nations determined the minimum age for criminal responsibility should be at least 14, noting that 12 is “too low an age”.
The average brain isn’t developed until the age of 25 so it’s also critical to understand youth shouldn’t be held punitively for their actions.
Connecticut’s data shows that 57% of the children under 12 arrested in 2019 were children of color, mostly from urban areas.

We urge Connecticut to raise the age to 14.
We further support calls to ensure funding and cooperative relationships are in place to make sure children can get services from the appropriate educational, mental health, or family support systems when necessary. These services need to be accessible, trauma-informed, and age-appropriate.

Connecticut saw the racial disparity between Black and white incarcerated youth double between 2011 and 2021.

*Black Disparities in Youth Incarceration, The Sentencing Project, December 2023

Incarceration slows children's maturity when they are kept away from environments that would help them grow. Federal guidance* has recommended small settings for over 10 years.
*Reforming Juvenile Justice: A Developmental Approach, U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Prison isolates children from healthy relationships and increases recidivism, thus fracturing vital communities. Family contact reduces recidivism and overall health.**
** Prison Policy Initiative, The positive impacts of family contact for incarcerated people and their families
Black children are overrepresented in Connecticut’s incarcerated youth population, making up 40% of youth arrests in 2023, but only 11% of the state’s youth population.***
***Juvenile Justice Equity Dashboard, CT Data