The Tow Youth Justice Institute is a university, state and private partnership established to lead the way for juvenile justice reform through the engagement of policy makers, practitioners, service providers, students, communities, youth and their families. TYJI works to promote the use of effective, data-driven practices, programs and policies related to youth justice, focusing on the needs and wellbeing of youth up to the age of 24.
Only through cross-system collaboration and transparency can we achieve true system reform. Critical discourse is imperative to hold systems accountable for change. Authentic engagement and voice is needed from youth, their families, and the community to raise awareness of the issues related to reforming the juvenile justice system. Long-term commitment is required from all stakeholders and funders to sustain and grow our vision. Intentional reliance on research is key to defining reform. Youth and families, with appropriate supports and interventions, have the ability to recover and change.
Vision
Rooted in equity and respect, our mission is focused on raising the voices of youth up to age 26, families, and those with lived experience, including those who have experienced victimization, and to promote policies, practices, and programs that reduce harm, build power, and create opportunities for all. Through research, coaching, education, and cross-system collaboration, we strengthen communities and support solutions that are community-informed, evidence-driven, and we focus on wellbeing, dignity, and long-term change.
Tow Youth Justice Institute’s essence: Bringing our collaborators’ ideas to reality. TYJI’s core purpose: We exist to make new ideas of justice a reality for Connecticut’s youth and families. What makes TYJI different: We help inform solutions to identified problems. Within the legislative process, we connect research to ideas and community partners to decision makers.
Goals
Our strategic goals are the pillars of our mission. They translate our vision into action, guiding our research, policy work, and community-building efforts to achieve measurable, positive outcomes for youth, families, and communities.
Our History
The Tow Youth Justice Institute (TYJI) was created in the fall of 2014 thanks to the generous support of The Tow Foundation, whose many years of investment in juvenile justice improvements have had a significant impact in Connecticut and beyond. With the Tow Foundation, the University of New Haven and the State of Connecticut as its anchors, and the expertise and knowledge of juvenile justice that existed in the Henry C. Lee College at the University of New Haven, the direction of the Institute took shape as a force for sustaining and building on the many reforms achieved in our state in decades past.
The TYJI is one of a few organizations in the State of Connecticut and the nation solely dedicated to youth justice based on a comprehensive, interdisciplinary, research-driven model to address this multi-faceted issue. Its results-oriented approach to advance effective practices in juvenile justice benefits children and families and enable our faculty and students to engage in meaningful work that will build knowledge and impactful learning experiences.
Timeline and Impact Statistics
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2014
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POLICY
Connecticut creates JJPOC
Juvenile Justice Policy and Oversight Committee establishes goals to reduce reliance on juvenile justice system and to reform policies that hinder youths’ opportunities to success
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2015
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POLICY
Connecticut aligns JJ laws with US Supreme Court ruling in Miller v. Alabama to:
• Retroactively eliminate life without parole • Shorten time to parole Passes legislation that prohibits out-of-school suspensions and expulsions of children in pre-K through 2nd grade and includes behavioral health and disciplinary issues in school health screenings
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2016
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POLICY
Connecticut reforms JJ by:
• Extending restrictions on use of restraint and seclusion to all public school students • Passing legislation to decriminalize status offenses such as truancy, defiance of school rules, running away from home • Consolidating all oversight and juvenile justice functions within the Judicial Branch Court Support Services Division
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2017
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EDUCATION AND TRAINING
TYJI develops new approaches to youth justice and best practices training for youthoriented professionals
• Launches Transforming Youth Justice Program • TYJI collaborates with the Child Health and Development Institute to begin training school faculty and administrators in restorative justice practices
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COMMUNITY OUTREACH
TYJI creates advisory council of experts and advisors
First TYJI Issue Brief released
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2018
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POLICY
JJPOC sets policy goals to address conditions that cause youth to enter the system:
• Develop community-based diversion plan • Create school-based diversion framework • Focus on trauma approach to suspensions and expulsions • Develop prearrest diversion plans
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POLICY
JJPOC monitors the closing of Connecticut Juvenile Training School
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2019
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POLICY
JJPOC establishes education unit to oversee transition of educational credits for youth in confinement
JJPOC launches Improving Outcomes for Youth (IOYouth) Task Force to assess juvenile justice reform implementation and impact
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EDUCATION AND TRAINING
TYJI receives OJJDP Cooperative Agreements and works with partners to:
• Reduce racial and ethnic disparities • Increase community-based diversion
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2020
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EDUCATION AND TRAINING
TYJI begins restorative practices training
for Youth Service Bureaus, Manson Youth Institute, Bridgeport Public Schools, and other organizations through OJJDP funding award
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EDUCATION AND TRAINING
TYJI launches Social Justice Program in New Haven high schools
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2021
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POLICY
Connecticut raises the minimum age of juvenile arrest from seven to ten years old
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EDUCATION AND TRAINING
TYJI creates Fact vs. Fiction series:
• Shaping a Service Approach in JJ Facilities • Raising Up Our Youth • Hearing the Truth About Car Theft in Connecticut