Early Appointment of Counsel for Juveniles in Hartford

This program provides funding to states and localities to enhance juvenile defense in one or more of the following areas: training of staff, data collection and analysis, juvenile defense delivery system analyses, and/or a specific need(s) that has been identified by the state or locality related to providing juvenile defense services to youth offenders. This program is authorized pursuant to the Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2018 (Pub. L. No. 115–141, 132 Stat. 348, 423).

The Connecticut Division of Public Defender Services (PDS) will contract with Central Connecticut State University to design and implement a research study of the impact of appointing attorneys during questioning and interrogation of juveniles on case outcomes, collateral consequences, and client satisfaction. The design will include access to telephone and/or in-person counsel from a grant-funded attorney for all juveniles (younger than age 18) who are questioned in Hartford as potential suspects in relation to a crime during the grant period. PDS will design, disseminate, and deliver educational materials about the juvenile justice process, goals of the juvenile justice system, right to counsel, and available resources. These activities will target the Hartford community (juveniles and their families) and government and community agencies (Hartford Juvenile Court personnel, Department of Children and Families, community providers, juvenile probation, area schools, community centers, and police departments). CA/NCF