STAMFORD —Today, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) were joined by U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) for a meeting with local teens who have experienced the juvenile justice system firsthand. Murphy, Blumenthal, and Booker organized the roundtable with teens and advocates to listen and learn about the problems of juvenile confinement. During the meeting, the senators and roundtable participants discussed strategies to prevent youth from entering the juvenile justice system and expand innovative reforms that reduce school-based arrests. Murphy, Blumenthal, and Booker also provided an update on their legislative proposals to reduce rates of juvenile incarceration and reform the nation’s juvenile justice system.

“Connecticut has made great strides toward a system that better protects our young men and women in the juvenile justice system. Over the course of a decade, we’ve diverted kids away from prison and have cut our rate of juvenile incarceration by 60 percent,” said Murphy. “But there’s still more work to be done. The young men and women we heard from this afternoon made it clear that unnecessarily harsh disciplinary methods are ineffective and that community services, rehabilitation strategies, and other alternatives actually give young people the help they need to be successful at home, at school, and in their communities. I am confident that Connecticut will continue to be at the forefront of juvenile justice reforms as we work hard to enact policies that will help kids all across the nation get back on the right track to success.”

"This is the greatest country in the world, surely we can do better when it comes to supporting our young people who may have lost their way, " said Booker. "We must enact policies that enable our children to succeed, not condemn them to failure. It is our responsibility as community leaders, policymakers, and citizens to activate and empower the genius of all of our kids. I am committed to working with my colleagues in the Senate to do just that."

"‎Simply put, the juvenile justice system is not working. Incarceration of youth for low-level infractions and offenses deprives them of what they need the most - strong family support, education and access to community services that address, not merely punish, the root causes of their behavior. Our current system is failing not only the children it incarcerate - particularly youth of color - but the families, schools and communities to which they return, most often no better equipped or supported to succeed," said Blumenthal.

The senators have been vocal advocates of juvenile justice reforms and have recently introduced several pieces of legislation that aim to protect youth and prevent the incarceration of young men and women. Last Congress, Murphy and Booker introduced the Better Options for Kids Act – legislation that incentivizes states to replace overly harsh school disciplinary actions and juvenile court punishment with bipartisan, evidence-based solutions that save money, enhance public safety, and improve youth outcomes – and just this year, Murphy called on leaders of Connecticut’s General Assembly to enact legislation that places reasonable limits on the use of shackles in Connecticut’s juvenile courts.