New Bill Would Raise the Juvenile Age of Arrest from 10 to 14

 Posted on May 14, 2025 in Juvenile Crimes

A 47-year-old man tells the story of his first arrest in Connecticut at age 12 for selling drugs. He was arrested again at ages 13, 14, and 16, spending time at a juvenile detention center in Middletown. At age 18, he was sent to an adult prison.

A proposed bill that would raise the age under which a child can be arrested to age 12 by 2026 and age 14 by 2028, would also prohibit law enforcement from handcuffing a juvenile under the age of 14.  Connecticut lawmakers passed a bill in 2021 that raised the age at which a juvenile could be arrested from seven years old to 10 years old.   

If your child is being charged with a juvenile criminal offense, it is extremely important that you speak to a knowledgeable Stamford, CT juvenile crimes attorney. Juvenile crimes are very different from adult crimes, and your child needs an attorney who has a thorough understanding of the current juvenile justice system in Connecticut.

What Would the New Proposal Do for Juveniles in Connecticut?

Under the new proposal, children between 10 and 14 years old would receive a referral to a Juvenile Review Board. This Board would then conduct a psychological assessment to determine the individual juvenile’s specific needs and develop a comprehensive plan.  The plan would protect public safety while ensuring that the juvenile takes responsibility for his or her actions. This could include restitution by the juvenile for harm caused to a victim.  

Each juvenile’s plan would connect the juvenile with a "credible messenger." This would be an individual who has been incarcerated and can tell the juvenile how profoundly his or her life might change during incarceration. The plan would also include mediated dialogue between the juvenile and his or her victim, allowing the juvenile to see the impact of his or her offense.  

Juveniles between the ages of 10 and 14 could still be arrested for such serious felonies as the possession of child pornography, first-degree robbery, arson, kidnapping, sexual assault, and murder. In 2023, 5,800 juveniles under the age of 18 were referred to state criminal courts.

Black children are much more likely to be referred to the juvenile courts and to receive a delinquent referral than white children. Many juveniles who end up in the Connecticut juvenile justice system grew up in poverty. The ultimate goal is to address the needs of these juveniles before they end up in the criminal justice system.

Diversionary programs can address public safety while teaching juveniles right from wrong in a less traumatic way than incarceration. If these laws had been passed last year, as many as 475 juveniles between the ages of 10 and 13 would not have been arrested for fairly minor offenses.

Opponents of the bill say that without the threat of arrest, juveniles have little incentive to cooperate with a Juvenile Review Board and that it effectively takes away accountability. Police say that handcuffs are necessary to keep everyone, including the juvenile, safe, regardless of his or her age.

Under the proposed plan, it would cost between $2,000 and $3,000 to mediate a case, compared to between $6,000 and $8,000 to take a child through the court system. The man mentioned above says he believes his life might have been very different if he had been offered a diversionary program after his first arrest at 12 years old, and it would have saved taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Contact a Fairfield County, CT Juvenile Crimes Lawyer

If your child is in legal trouble, the best step you can take is to contact a Stamford, CT juvenile crimes attorney from Law Offices of Daniel P. Weiner. Having a knowledgeable, compassionate legal advocate by your side helps ensure the best outcome possible for your child. Call 203-348-5846 to schedule your free consultation.