Press Releases
04/13/2016
Gov. Malloy: Connecticut Receives $2.5 Million Grant for Second Chance Society Initiatives
(HARTFORD, CT) - Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has selected the State of Connecticut to receive a grant of $2.5 million to aid in creating a fairer, more effective justice system. The grant is a part of the Safety and Justice Challenge, a national initiative supported by the foundation to reduce over-incarceration, change the way states think about jails, and induce reforms.
Supporting the Governor's Second Chance Society initiatives, the state will use the award to pilot new innovative criminal justice reforms that safely reduce pre-trial detention as well as increase access to mental health and substance abuse diversionary services.
"We are making strides to be leaders in criminal justice reforms - and this grant will support our efforts," Governor Malloy said. "For too long, we built modern jails instead of modern schools. We need to reverse the policies of the past, and we need to rethink our approach to criminal justice. It's happening in red and blue states around the country, and we're making it a reality here in Connecticut. I would like to thank the MacArthur Foundation for this important grant."
Connecticut was chosen following a highly competitive six-month implementation planning process. The MacArthur Foundation reviewed implementation plans from 20 jurisdictions nationwide.
"The way we misuse and over-use jails in this country takes an enormous toll on our social fabric and undermines the credibility of government action, with particularly dire consequences for communities of color," Julia Stasch, President of the MacArthur Foundation, said. "The thoughtful plans and demonstrable political will give us confidence that these jurisdictions will show that change is possible in even the most intractable justice-related challenges in cities, counties, and states across the country."
With the award, the state will implement reforms to address the main drivers of its jail population with the goal of reducing the average daily jail population over two years.
A Safety and Justice Challenge Workgroup was recently created and led by the Office of Policy and Management, in collaboration with local law enforcement, corrections officials, prosecutors, defenders, judges, and other stakeholders, in order to develop a plan that focuses on safely reducing the overuse of jails in order to safely drive down jail usage and reduce racial and ethnic disparities.
Several key initiatives the grant will fund include the Hartford Alternative to Arrest Project, which will serve as a pilot to develop alternatives to custodial arrest for low risk and high need offenders who will be deflected to community-based services. A new pre-arraignment case processing model will be piloted in New Haven in an effort to divert low-risk offenders to community supervision with reduced length-of-stay in jail detention. In addition, an expansion of the Jail Diversion Substance Abuse program in New Haven will provide court-based diversion to detox or residential treatment.
Under Governor Malloy's leadership, Connecticut has seen crime drop to a nearly a 50-year low while violent crime and the prison population have also declined significantly.
Information about the selected jurisdictions, as well as news, research, and events related to the Safety and Justice Challenge, will be published on www.SafetyandJusticeChallenge.org.
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