Tow Institute for Youth Justice Institute at UNH to Further Connecticut’s Reforms

The institute, the first in Connecticut and one of only a few in the U.S., will study issues such as prevention, recidivism, sentencing and the treatment of youths as adults. It also will study alternatives to incarceration, alternatives to school-based arrests, and the cost-benefit and safety outcomes of community interventions rather than institutional placement for older youth up to the age of 21. In addition, the institute will examine improvements in independent living and workforce issues.

Funding for this critical work will come from The Tow Foundation of New Canaan, Conn., the state of Connecticut and University of New Haven. The Tow Foundation awarded a $300,000, two-year grant; the state will initially provide a $150,000, one-year grant; and the University of New Haven will add $100,000 annually.

"Over the past two decades, The Tow Foundation has proudly supported efforts to improve services for court-involved youth and the policies that affect them," said Emily Tow Jackson, executive director of The Tow Foundation. "Investing in the creation of this important new institute will help insure that those positive outcomes are protected and that youth and communities in Connecticut and around the country will benefit from the knowledge and expertise that will be housed here."

The institute will provide leadership to support and sustain the major youth justice reform efforts already underway in Connecticut and across the Northeast. The institute is designed to be a national model for expanding and sustaining progressive reform and to demonstrate how alternative approaches to that work can be institutionalized.

"The institute will rely on the broad expertise in the Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences, which has more than 50 faculty members recognized as leaders and experts in the fields of youth violence, adult and juvenile corrections, victimology, law enforcement, legal studies, forensic psychology and other fields," said UNH President Steven H. Kaplan.  "We will supplement their efforts with the expertise of faculty in UNH’s College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Business."

Connecticut has the lowest rate of incarcerated youth in the nation due to ambitious reforms in recent years. Other states are following suit. "Yet, there is still more work to be done," said Mario Gaboury, dean of the Lee College. "Multidisciplinary research will help inform law enforcement, the courts, child protection programs, child-serving agencies and the academic community about next steps."

Gaboury noted that the institute will issue annual reports on the state of Connecticut’s youth justice system.

First steps include formation of an advisory board and the development of a multi-year action plan, said Gaboury.

He added that the institute also will develop a new curriculum to broaden course offerings at UNH on the subject of juvenile justice and provide a national model for dissemination to other universities. The institute will provide staff assistance to the state’s new commission, the Juvenile Justice Policy and Oversight Committee, established by the General Assembly in 2014.

To further UNH’s mission of experiential education, the institute is also expected to provide internships, co-op work experiences and service-learning opportunities for UNH students.

About The Tow Foundation

The Tow Foundation, established in 1988 by Leonard and Claire Tow, funds projects and collaborative ventures in fields where there are opportunities for breakthroughs, reform and benefits for underserved populations.  Investments focus on the support of innovative programs in the areas of justice reform, groundbreaking medical research, cultural institutions, and higher education.  For more information, visit www.towfoundation.org.

About the University of New Haven

The University of New Haven is a private, top-tier comprehensive institution recognized as a national leader in experiential education. Founded in 1920 the university enrolls approximately 1,800 graduate students and more than 4,600 undergraduates.