Norwich — Norwich Free Academy students on Thursday learned how the state’s juvenile and adult criminal justice systems work and how prosecutors and judges alike are not out to just “lock people up.”

The Norwich NAACP Robertsine Duncan Youth Council questioned a panel of criminal justice experts during a forum titled “Strengthening our Community and Criminal Justice System.” The program was the second forum by the youth council as part of the Norwich NAACP’s Black History Month program.

“It costs about $50,000 a year to incarcerate a person,” state prosecutor Lonnie Braxton said. “If we had a way of figuring out first who had mental health issues, we would probably lose between 40 and 60% of our business. If we could find out who truly had a mental health, compounded by a self-treatment drug addiction problem, we would probably lose another 10-15%.”

Braxton said only about 3-5% of “really bad people who will never change.” Then there are about 20% who “can’t get out of their own way,” Braxton said, because “their thought process is so bad.”

Prosecutors, he said, don’t just lock people up. They work hard to find the right balance in each case. He said he tries to “lift people,” because he knows criminal convictions and sentences will follow people throughout their lives. He also is mindful that a person in low-paying jobs, even small fines can become devastating for families.

Asked about inequities in the criminal justice system, New London Superior Court Judge John Newson said a person or family’s economic resources can make the biggest difference for people suffering from mental illness, substance abuse or both.

A person “with money or means” can “pop” into a rehabilitation center immediately, paying for it through private insurance or out of pocket, Newson said. But those without insurance who need state assistance to enter a treatment program likely would have to wait for months to get into one of the few slots available in a state-funded program. Meanwhile, Newson said, that person is on the streets, facing the same pressures, interacting with the same friends and potential bad influencers.

By then, the person might have “two more files,” or criminal cases, Braxton said.

The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the situation, delaying court dates and leaving defendants waiting for their day in court.

There are stark differences between juvenile and adult justice systems, the panelists told the students. In a juvenile case, the youth first meets a probation officer at the start of the case, and that officer works with the youth and family to best resolve the problems, with the goal of helping them not offend again.

Norwich police juvenile officer Steve Callender, a member of the Juvenile Review Board, said offending youths might be recommended for structured programs, including sports, dance or karate to help keep them occupied.

“The juvenile court is designed to not be a shock and awe system, but be more of a ‘we want to bring you in. We want to treat you like you are a kid, and we want to help you and get you out the other side,’” Newson said.

Braxton said again, the resources of the family can play a role in the youth’s success with the system. For example, one family might be able to pay $40,000 per month for a treatment program immediately to help the child. Others would need to wait for a lower-cost, state-funded program.

“It’s not that people of color get a worse disposition because they are people of color,” Judge Newson agreed. “There is a socio-economic component, so people with more resources, and that does tend to have a color swath to it socio-economically, they can afford to put themselves in a position more often than not get a better disposition than others.”

Even repeat youth offenders will get multiple chances, such as community service, diversion programs to keep them out of the court system and other assistance. They come to expect that’s how the court system works, Braxton said.

But if that person gets arrested again as a young adult, they find a totally different approach, Braxton said, with leniency now perhaps meaning a six-month prison sentence instead of several years.

“They would become upset, indignant at times, like ‘how dare you,’” Braxton said.

NAACP youth members peppered the panel with questions during the Zoom presentation until the very end of the 90-minute program. Braxton recommended three books for the youths on criminal justice and wealth inequity in America.

When it came time for her closing statement, youth council President Karen Lau said she was inspired by Braxton’s recommended books and offered her own book recommendations, including “Just Mercy,” on capital punishment in the criminal justice system.

“When we first started organizing these town halls, our goal was to strengthen relationships between Norwich, policing and the criminal justice system,” Lau said, “and I think after tonight, we certainly achieved that.”

c.bessette@theday.com