Romano says the parties can no longer negotiate a remedy. Additionally, the juvenile judge's "role has been eviscerated. A judge can only choose an in-state placement. Other than that, it's up to DCF."
If the justices of the Supreme Court were offended by a loss of judicial authority, it wasn't reflected in the final Jeffrey M. ruling handed down last week. Justice Eveleigh, for a unanimous court, ruled for DCF, pointing to the new law that gives the agency first and last word on out-of-state placements.
Enough Options?
One thing Katz and Romano agree upon is that treatment works. Juveniles, unlike many adults, respond well to the right kind of treatment for everything from fire-setting behaviors to inappropriate sexual activities.
But where the two sides differ is on whether there are currently enough in-state treatment options.
Romano, and his associate, Naomi Fetterman, say that sending all challenging cases to the Connecticut Juvenile Training School in Middletown is a "one-size-fits-all" approach. Most states send some of their most difficult cases to special out-of-state facilities, said Romano.
"Right now, the most popular facility for [addressing] fire-setting behavior is in Texas," he said. "States all over the nation are sending kids to Texas. It's been able to set up a business, essentially, and create local jobs for a fire-setting placement. Why shouldn't Connecticut set [up a similar facility]? We could provide it for in-state kids, and be able to offer this service to other states as well."
Katz has similar ideas in mind. She would like to see some former state-run facilities turned over to qualified private sector treatment providers. And on a more individualized scale, she said, specialists are being hired to provide treatment for specific problem behaviors at the Connecticut Juvenile Training School.
"It's anything but a one-size-fits-all approach," Katz said. •
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