Senator Chris Murphy wants the federal government to help states reform the way they deal with juvenile criminals.  Murphy says Connecticut is a leader in providing programs for young people who get in trouble with the law instead of sending them to prison.  He will propose legislation to create financial incentives for states that agree to start such programs because prison is no place for a troubled youth.

Hardliners may believe that a prison stretch for a young person who commits a crime will scare them straight, but Senator Murphy says instead it will likely push them into a life of crime. 

Murphy says fiscal conservatives should support alternatives to incarceration because they're far less expensive than prison.