2012 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 17a - Social and Human Services and Resources
Chapter 319 - Department of Children and Families
Section 17a-8 - (Formerly Sec. 17-415b). Custody of children and youths committed to commissioner as delinquent. Term, escape, violation of parole, return to custody. Vocational parole.

(a) All children and youths who are or have been committed to the custody of the Commissioner of Children and Families as delinquent shall remain in such custody until the earliest of the following: (1) The date such commitment expires as provided by order of the Superior Court, (2) the date such commitment terminates as provided by order of the Superior Court, or (3) the date the child or youth attains the age of twenty. Any child or youth who while placed in an institution administered by the Department of Children and Families escapes from such institution or any child or youth who violates the terms or conditions of parole may be returned to actual custody. The request of the Commissioner of Children and Families, or the commissioner’s designee, shall be sufficient warrant to authorize any officer of the Department of Children and Families or any officer authorized by law to serve criminal process within this state to return any such child or youth into actual custody; and any such officer, police officer or constable shall arrest and hold any such child or youth when so requested, without written warrant.

(b) If the commissioner finds that a child or youth committed to his custody as delinquent who is fourteen years of age or older cannot benefit from continued school attendance and if the commissioner further finds that such person may benefit from part or full-time employment at some useful occupation, the commissioner may place the child or youth on vocational parole, under the supervision of an employee of the department. For the purposes of this section, the limitations of subsection (a) of section 31-23, on the employment of minors under the age of sixteen years, shall not apply for the duration of such vocational parole.

(P.A. 74-268, S. 2, 3; P.A. 75-524, S. 12, 30; P.A. 76-436, S. 588, 681; P.A. 93-91, S. 1, 2; P.A. 00-99, S. 53, 154; P.A. 06-196, S. 106; P.A. 11-157, S. 5.)

History: P.A. 75-524 replaced “person(s)” with “child(ren) or youth” and added Subsec. (b) re vocational parole; P.A. 76-436 replaced juvenile court with superior court, effective July 1, 1978; Sec. 17-415b transferred to Sec. 17a-8 in 1991; P.A. 93-91 substituted commissioner and department of children and families for commissioner and department of children and youth services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 00-99 deleted reference to sheriff in Subsec. (a), effective December 1, 2000; P.A. 06-196 made technical changes in Subsec. (a), effective June 7, 2006; P.A. 11-157 amended Subsec. (a) to designate existing provisions re expiration and termination as Subdivs. (1) and (2), add Subdiv. (3) re age and provide that custody continues until earliest of the date of expiration or termination of commitment or the date the child or youth attains the age of 20, and made technical changes in Subsec. (b).