Juvenile Courts in Connecticut may be seeing less students arrested for school related offenses such as assault 3rd, larceny, breach of peace, disorderly conduct and simple possession of marijuana as well as other misdemeanors.
A new bill has been proposed to reduce the number of arrests in Connecticut schools. The latest statistics show that 20% of all juvenile arrests occur on school grounds. From what I see in Connecticut Juvenile Courts this number seems about right.
The idea behind the new law is for the police and school personnel to intervene and help students before they get arrested and summoned to Connecticut Juvenile Court.
It’s a good notion. In theory, I support it.
However, it assumes that the school has sufficient resources to handle delinquent behavior. It further assumes that teachers, social workers and other school staff can identify those children that may be heading down the wrong path.
Presumably, the bill would not apply to serious juvenile offenses. These more serious cases like possession with the intent to sell, robbery and carrying a dangerous weapon will still be referred to Connecticut Juvenile Coourt.
Here is the article:
Advocates Support Bill To Reduce School-based Arrests – Courant.com