FWSN-advisorybd-repo.. - The Connecticut Juvenile Justice Alliance

increasing gender-responsive programming for girls: “. . . .[I]t is critical that genderspecific
services for girls be implemented across the continuum of care, from prevention
to aftercare and transitional programming, and that the Connecticut juvenile justice
system remains committed to serving girls equitably.” 68
Draft guidelines for gender-responsive girls programming have been developed jointly by
DCF and CSSD, but have not yet been formally adopted by either agency.
“The DCF-CSSD Girls’ Programs Standards and Certification Project is intended to
support the development of a system of care for girls involved in Connecticut’s juvenile
justice system that is characterized by creative, cutting-edge practice and widespread
adherence to best practices in female specific programming and approaches. The project
is designed to move the system toward a unified female responsive approach so that girls
have access to a cohesive system of care that honors their strengths and effectively meets
their needs across service settings.” (See Appendix VIII for excerpts from draft
guidelines)
B. Recommendations Relating to Girls in the Juvenile Delinquency Population
Type of
Recommendation
Establish and
strengthen
services for girls
in the juvenile
justice system.
Detail
Fund and have the State
Department of Education issue a
Request for Proposal for a Local
Educational Agency to pilot an
alternative therapeutic gender
responsive school
(i.e. the PACE Center for Girls)
in one location for a minimum of
3-5 years and conduct an
appropriate evaluation of the
school and programming 69
Include, (or, in the case of CSSD
continue to include), gender
responsive training as a basic
component of training in
orientation and update training
Primary
Agency
SDE
CSSD & DCF
68 The Connecticut Juvenile Justice Strategic Plan: Building Toward a Better Future, A Strategic Planning
Process Facilitated by the Child Welfare League of America for the Department of Children and Families-
Bureau of Juvenile Services and the Connecticut Judicial Branch-Court Support Services Division in
Collaboration with many Public and Private Stakeholders, (Connecticut: 2006). 55.
69 See Footnote 52
75