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The Connecticut Juvenile Justice Alliance works to keep kids who don’t belong in prison, out.  And to advocate for those kids who do end up involved.  State Representative Toni Walker works with the Alliance. She says its time to look at how we address adolescence.

"We have begun over the last I’d say fifteen years starting to criminalize normal teenage behavior. And we need to go back to looking at what did we get when we were growing up and what are we denying our children now."

Connecticut law requires Family Support Centers be available throughout the state, but many regions don’t have them. Alliance Executive Director Abby Anderson says these centers help kids who run away from home and skip school, stay out of prison.

"We really need to make sure that the Family Support Centers which are now in only four cities are spread out throughout the state. We’re also making sure that the Raise the Age Connecticut campaign goes forward which is 16 and 17 years olds being the juvenile justice system instead of the adult system.

Last year, state lawmakers promised to end the practice of sending minors into adult prisons for non-violent offenses but the bill still needs funding.  The Alliance is also working toward the implementation of a 2007 state law that would ban out-of-school suspensions for routine disciplinary infractions.