WHO ADDRESSES BASIC SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES

Employees at Connecticut Juvenile Training School fall under the old paradigm of representatives advocating for certain things. When a meeting was held at CJTS June 24th with Department of Children & Families Commissioner Joette Katz a proper protocol of questioning ensued. Employees at CJTS were steered toward asking questions that did not cause controversy or ruffle feathers. The one black female who raised one racial question (“why Commissioner Katz do people of color receive harsher discipline than other ethnic groups?”) had it disregarded. There are few Union Stewards or Youth Service Officers willing to broach basic social issues before management on the DCF Plantation.

Issues concerning social issues need illuminating before CJTS management; employee’s recent existential angst, petition / letter to Katz are derived from earlier incidents around bias and discrimination. Now the hierarchy at DCF will dispute that claim and say “CJTS is in turmoil because certain YSOs love controversy” but the real reasons seem more profound--- complex. Until Key Stone Cops management develops courage to discuss basic social justice issues problems at that facility will continue. Also it is the time for YSOS to demand social justice issues get pushed to the front of their agenda. Do not think any management people will decide in favor of unveiling race as a topic of discussion: America is still not comfortable talking about slavery or racism in some broader context. The only way race gets air time in America is when the people force it out in the open; after Trayvon Martin’s shooting death race became this hot topic. When basic social justice issues do not have the necessary public forum society suffers. At CJTS all those problems manifesting themselves in various forms have beginning points with suppression of not discussing social justice concerns.

If people peruse history correctly please notice how social upheavals always result when issues are stuffed down then not allowed public forums for dialogue.