Connecticut Governor's Testimony Before Sentencing and Parole Review Task Force

November 26, 2007 -- "I want to take this opportunity to thank the chairs and members of the Sentencing and Parole Review Task Force for contributing your time, energy and expertise to the important work of conducting a top-to-bottom review of our criminal justice system, from arrest to release. I appreciate that this is a difficult and time-consuming task, but I also know that it is necessary to ensure the safety of our citizens.

As you know, one of the most horrific crimes in state history occurred in Cheshire this past summer. The deaths of Jennifer Hawke-Petit, Hayley Petit and Michaela Petit and the vicious assault on Dr. William Petit, Jr. have shaken the public’s confidence in our criminal justice system. That is why I convened this Task Force. Together we must work to identify and correct the shortcomings in the system so that we may ultimately restore confidence and peace of mind. I strongly believe that public safety is the most important mission of state government.

In addition to convening the Task Force, I have taken strong and decisive action to protect the safety of the public and preserve the integrity of the parole system. For example, I have directed the Board of Pardons and Paroles to temporarily suspend parole for violent offenders and to immediately return to prison any parolee who commits a public safety violation. The message to those on parole should be clear -- those that abuse this privilege will be returned to prison.

I also announced a number of staffing and programmatic enhancements to address public safety and effectively utilize community supervision as an alternative for appropriate non-violent offenders. The expedited hiring of more parole officers will allow offenders living in our communities to be more closely supervised, and assist the Department of Correction in identifying, locating and apprehending parole violators before they engage in additional criminal activity. Temporary staff at the Board of Pardons and Paroles will help ensure that all information on offenders is now being provided prior to parole consideration.

And I directed the Department of Correction to increase the number of offenders in the community being monitored by electronic monitoring. We must use the latest technology to enhance our supervision of offenders in the community.

But these steps alone are not enough. We need to enact real, substantive changes. I urge you to consider the following in your deliberations.

* I believe that we need a full-time Board of Pardons and Paroles. Offenders must only be released into the community after a thorough review of the complete record by a panel of professionals.

* We must ensure that all components of the criminal justice system, including prosecutors, judges, the Department of Correction and parole and probation officers, have prompt access to all relevant information. There is simply no reason why this cannot be achieved in this day and age. We must redesign our current information technology systems to accomplish this goal as soon as possible.

* We must take a careful look at the re-entry programs that provide support to offenders after release. These programs not only assist the offender in readjusting to life in a family and a community, they help to ensure public safety and reduce recidivism. As I have previously stated, I have no desire to see our prisons become human warehouses where we stow away a portion of the population on whom we have simply given up. I believe appropriately screened offenders can be closely supervised, held accountable for their actions and rehabilitated. If we need to beef up our re-entry programs to increase our success rates, let’s do so.

* I urge you also to take a close look at the sentences that are imposed for burglary crimes. Residential burglary of an occupied dwelling has the potential to escalate into serious violence. I support the strengthening of the penalties for residential burglary or, alternatively, the creation of a separate crime of home invasion with a higher penalty.

* I also support increased use of monitoring by global positioning systems. This technology allows parole and probation officers to track the movements of offenders, to ensure that they are where they are supposed to be.

* And, finally, we need to ensure that we listen to the voices of victims. People’s lives, particularly in the case of violence or domestic abuse, are often seriously impacted when they are the victim of a crime. We must ensure that we offer appropriate support to victims, whose voices traditionally have not been heard by the system.

To achieve these goals, I encourage you to listen to the citizens of Connecticut who have come to testify before you. I believe that the different perspectives and ideas they present will assist you in your duties and ultimately help in creating an improved criminal justice system.

As you grapple with these difficult issues, I urge you to work cooperatively with the chairmen and members of the Judiciary Committee. I hope that jointly this Task Force and the Judiciary Committee will develop a comprehensive set of proposals that addresses the many challenges our criminal justice system faces. I look forward to receiving your recommendations, and I would welcome a special legislative session to enact real and meaningful criminal justice reforms in the new year. "

Source: Connecticut Governor

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