Hartford is getting a major investment to benefit its young people. A federal grant of $1.4 million will support the city’s Juvenile Justice Initiative.
The money aims to support Hartford kids involved with the justice system. It will provide highly customized intervention, creating personalized plans for each case to connect at-risk youth to resources that can help them.
“This funding is critical to the work that we're doing,” Jacquelyn Santiago, Compass Youth Collaborative CEO, said. “We already are in the communities reaching youth who are in the midst of a troublesome time. The one thing that we're missing is really a systems connection.”
Local organizations that work with Hartford youth say the grant funding for the Juvenile Justice Initiative will have a big impact.
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“It will go a long way. It will allow us to be more intentional, more aggressive,” Hector Rivera, Our Piece of the Pie President & CEO, said. “It will allow us to attach additional services to our current service packages like mental health, cognitive behavioral therapy.”
Compass Youth Collaborative and Our Piece of the Pie are already working with at-risk kids.
“Young people right now are dealing with trauma, anxiety, disconnection from system,” Rivera said.
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Both organizations will work alongside the City of Hartford and the state’s Court Support Services Division to bolster support for kids involved in the justice System. The Department of Children and Families Youth and Recreation department is also involved in the initiative.
“Confining young people in prison-like facilities, the training center that existed in Middletown for many years, is a path fraught with destruction. But alternatives can be promising,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal said. “There are other paths. And given the opportunity to seek those paths, young people will do it.”
One focus for the new grant funding: providing customized intervention catered to each child’s case.
“One kid may need to have an advocate in the school system to get them the special education plan that they have never had. Another kid may need a mentor. Another may need a little bit of help for his family getting nutritional benefits,” Sen. Chris Murphy said. “Every kid and every family needs something different. And that's what this grant is all about, about building the team that can go out and assess every kid's needs.”
State lawmakers say about 4,200 Hartford youth were involved with the justice system in 2021.
Leaders say many have lived through trauma, often driven by gun violence.
“When you start learning about their story, you're learning about a young person who lost a loved one, often to violence at a very young age,” Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin said. “Maybe lost multiple loved ones to violence, maybe was the victim of abuse. Maybe he's been the victim of gun violence themselves.”
The initiative aims to address those root problems, and give young people resources to get their lives on the path to success.
“Several caring adults collaborating on a case plan that is individualized for your needs, it's transformational,” Santiago said. “It's life changing, because there are other opportunities now available for you that weren't available to you before. And there are a network of people talking about you together.”
In addition to the $1.4 million grant, the City of Hartford is investing $400,000 to increase staffing for the initiative. The money comes from American Rescue Plan resources.
