Criminal Justice (Juvenile Justice)

This bill mandates a comprehensive study on the relationship between the corrections system and the child welfare system. The study will examine incarcerated individuals' prior involvement with child welfare and juvenile systems, including details like past foster care, age during placement, ethnicity, and gender. It requires the Commissioner to conduct surveys of a random sample of at least ten percent of individuals in state, county, and municipal correctional facilities. Participant confidentiality and informed consent are required for these surveys. A written report with findings, conclusions, and recommendations must be submitted to the governor and legislative leaders.

This bill prohibits placing any incarcerated individual under 18 years old in segregated confinement under any circumstances. It directly affects minors in correctional facilities by banning this practice, which involves isolating individuals in separate cells. The key provision amends the correction law to explicitly state that "incarcerated individuals under the age of eighteen shall not be placed in segregated confinement for any reason," with limited exceptions referenced in the text. The policy change updates facility procedures to protect minors from this form of confinement.