Annual Report 2014
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STATE OF CONNECTICUT SENTENCING COMMISSION 2014 ANNUAL REPORT 185 Main Street, Room 212 New Britain, CT 06051 860-832-1853 CONNECTICUT SENTENCING COMMISSION April 8, 2015 Hon. David M. Borden Chair Undersecretary Mike Lawlor To: The Honorable Dannel P. Malloy, Governor Vice Chair The Honorable Chase T. Rogers, Chief Justice The Honorable Members of the Connecticut General Assembly Andrew Clark Acting Executive Director Leland J. Moore Research & Policy Associate Public Act No. 10-129, which created the Connecticut Sentencing Commission, requires the Commission to report to you annually upon its work and any recommendations it may have concerning sentencing statutes, policies and Website: practices. Accordingly, I submit the Commission’s report for the year 2014. www.ct.gov/opm/csc This report highlights the work of the Commission during the past year and Email: includes one proposal for consideration at the 2015 legislative session along with information regarding the activity of its committees and staff. SentencingCommission@ccsu. edu I would like to express the Commission’s gratitude to the following entities for their assistance in fulfilling our mission: the Institute for Municipal and Regional Mailing Address: Policy at Central Connecticut State University, the Civil Justice Clinic at Quinnipiac Institute for Municipal & University School of Law, and the Students and Faculty at Yale Law School. Regional Policy Central Connecticut State University, Downtown Campus Room 212 185 Main ST New Britain, CT 06051 Respectfully, David M. Borden Chair, Connecticut Sentencing Commission PREPARED BY: TABLE OF CONTENTS PART I: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.......................................................................................................................... 3 PART II: THE COMMISSION Organizational Information ..................................................................................................................................... 4 Legislative Mandate ....................................................................................................................................... 4 Duties of the Commission ............................................................................................................................... 4 Composition ................................................................................................................................................... 5 Commissioners ....................................................................................................................................................... 6 Committees & Working Groups.............................................................................................................................. 8 Committees ..................................................................................................................................................... 8 Working Groups ............................................................................................................................................. 9 Budget .................................................................................................................................................................. 10 PART III: NATIONAL OVERVIEW OF SENTENCING COMMISSIONS Overview of Sentencing Commissions ................................................................................................................. 11 National Association of Sentencing Commissions (NASC) ................................................................................. 12 2014 Annual Conference ...................................................................................................................................... 13 Conference Highlights ................................................................................................................................. 13 PART IV: UPDATE ON 2014 LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS Summary ................................................................................................................................................................ 14 Proposals ................................................................................................................................................................ 15 PART V: THE WORK OF THE COMMISSION & ITS COMMITTEES Commission Meetings ............................................................................................................................................ 16 Certificates of Employability Program Evaluation ..................................................................................... 16 Presentations ............................................................................................................................................... 16 2014 Commission Retreat ........................................................................................................................... 16 Committee Highlights ............................................................................................................................................ 17 Steering Committee ....................................................................................................................................... 17 Committee on Sentencing Structure, Policy and Practices ........................................................................... 17 Committee on Research, Measurement and Evaluation ................................................................................ 18 Committee on Recidivism Reduction ............................................................................................................. 18 Legislative Committee ................................................................................................................................... 19 PART VI: 2015 LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS Summary ................................................................................................................................................................ 20 Reconsidering Sentences Imposed on Juveniles .................................................................................................... 20 Proposal Background .................................................................................................................................... 20 Overview ....................................................................................................................................................... 20 PART VII: CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................................................... 24 INSTITUTE FOR MUNICIPAL AND REGIONAL POLICY (CCSU)............................................................. 25 APPENDICES A. C.G.S. § 54-300 ................................................................................................................................................. 26 B. FY 2016/2017 Proposed Budget Adjustments ................................................................................................... 29 Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 31 Statutory Designated Tasks ........................................................................................................................... 31 Similarly Situated Sentencing Commissions.................................................................................................. 32 CT Permanent Commissions ......................................................................................................................... 34 Current Appropriation .................................................................................................................................. 34 FY 2016/2017 Request................................................................................................................................... 35 C. National Sentencing Commissions ................................................................................................................... 36 D. Policy on Consensus Decision-Making ............................................................................................................ 38 E. Retreat Agenda ................................................................................................................................................. 40 F. House Bill 5221 ................................................................................................................................................ 42 G. Public Act 14-27 ................................................................................................................................................ 57 H. Senate Bill 259 .................................................................................................................................................. 66 I. Public Act 14-233 ............................................................................................................................................. 73 2 PART I: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report is organized into seven parts beginning with the Executive Summary. The second part addresses the Commission’s creation, membership, and legislative mandate. The third part examines the national landscape of Sentencing Commissions and their funding mechanisms. Part four provides an update on the Commission’s 2014 legislative proposals. Part