Connecticut Youth Deserve a Clean Slate

Riya Saha Shah, Esq.; Marisa M. Halm, The CT Mirror •

Youth who are arrested often find themselves on a path of family separation, educational disruption, and trauma. When they exit the juvenile justice system, youth are anxious to put the experience behind them. Yet, records of court involvement have the potential to stymie their future efforts to grow into productive citizens.

Criminal records impede employment, housing, professional licensure and other opportunities. Raised Bill 691, a bill the Connecticut legislature will consider today, would give adults a clean slate by automatically erasing certain records. We are proposing an amendment to ensure that youth with juvenile records, who also suffer devastating future consequences because of the stigma of a record, also receive this benefit.

Protecting the confidentiality of records is central to the juvenile justice system’s goal of rehabilitation.

Issues
About the Expert

Riya Saha Shah is a Senior Managing Director of Juvenile Law Center. Riya began her career at Juvenile Law Center in 2005 as a Sol and Helen Zubrow Fellow in Children’s Law. In her role as a Senior Managing Director, Riya serves on the organization’s Management Team and is a leader in Juvenile Law Center’s programmatic justice work. Since the beginning of her legal career, Riya has engaged in litigation, policy advocacy, and amicus efforts to reduce the harm of the juvenile and criminal legal system.

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In The News
Nancy Gertner and Andre Davis, The Baltimore Banner •