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Connecticut

State Resource Guide

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The Post-Conviction Process

Click on the underlined links to view more information. 

To help you better use this state-by-state resource, here is a glossary of terms used throughout this site.

Post-Sentencing Review

Direct Appeal

State Post-Conviction Motions

Federal Habeas Corpus

Early Release Programs

Prosecutorial Review

Clemency

Victims have rights throughout this whole process. Click here to learn more.

A criminal case may not go through each stage included in this visual representation, or these stages may occur in a different order than they appear in this graphic. Additionally, some cases may go through these stages several times. Each case is unique, and this chart is intended only as a visual aid to help victims and survivors understand the post-sentencing process.

Post-Sentencing Review

After an individual accused of a crime has been convicted and sentenced, they may file motions in the trial court to challenge their conviction or sentence.

Direct Appeal

After any post-sentencing motions are decided by the court (or if no post-trial motions are filed), an individual convicted of a crime may ask a higher court to review the trial court’s and jury’s decisions. This is called a “direct appeal.”
  • On appeal, the court does not admit new evidence or call witnesses but instead reviews what happened in the trial court. If the convicted person pursues an appeal, they may ask to be released while it is pending.
  • The Appellate Bureau of the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice represents the State in direct appeal. Victims can receive information about direct appeals by contacting the Division by phone at 860-258-5800, by email at conndcj@ct.gov, or by mail at 300 Corporate Place, Rocky Hill, CT 06067. Victims can also register for appeal notifications through the Connecticut Statewide Automated Victim Information and Notification (CT SAVIN) by calling 1-877-846-3428. 

State Post-Conviction Motions

Post-conviction motions are requests to have the conviction or sentence reviewed that are filed after the direct appeal process has ended.
  • These motions can seek many outcomes, including invalidation of the conviction, shortening the amount of time the convicted person must spend in prison, or permission from the court for that individual to view or find additional information relevant to the case – such as new DNA testing.
  • The Appellate Bureau of the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice represents the State in direct appeal. Victims can receive information about post-conviction motions by contacting the Division by phone at 860-258-5800, by email at conndcj@ct.gov, or by mail at 300 Corporate Place, Rocky Hill, CT 06067. Victims can also register for post-conviction notifications through the Connecticut Statewide Automated Victim Information and Notification (CT SAVIN) by calling 1-877-846-3428.

Federal Habeas Corpus

After seeking post-conviction relief in state court, a person convicted under Connecticut law may go to federal court in a process called “habeas corpus.”
  • Relief in federal habeas corpus is available only in specific and rare circumstances. Issues often raised in federal habeas cases include claims that the convicted person had an inept attorney, claims that police or prosecutors violated their rights, hid evidence, or committed other misconduct.
  • The Connecticut Office of the Attorney General represents the State in federal habeas corpus proceedings. Victims can receive information about federal habeas corpus by contacting the Connecticut Office of the Victims Advocate by phone at 1-888-771-3126 and by registering for notifications through the Connecticut Statewide Automated Victim Information and Notification (CT SAVIN) by phone at 1-877-846-3428.

Early Release Programs

These programs can include parole, medical parole, compassionate release, or earning “credits” in prison.
  • If someone is sentenced to a term of imprisonment, they may be released from prison earlier than expected through several programs available in Connecticut, including parole, medical parole, compassionate release, or earning reductions in their sentences (called “Risk Reduction Earned Credits”) for good behavior or completing certain educational programs in prison.
  • Victims can register for early release and movement notifications through the Connecticut Statewide Automated Victim Information and Notification (CT SAVIN) by calling 1-877-846-3428. Connecticut’s Office of Victim Services (OVS) offers confidential notification about early release and movement. Victims can register for notification from OVS by calling 1-800-822-8428 to ask for a Confidential Request for Notification of Status of Inmate form or by visiting www.jud.ct.gov/crimevictim/.  The completed Confidential Request for Notification of Status of Inmate form can be mailed to OVS, 225 Spring Street, 4th Floor, Wethersfield, CT 06109, faxed to 860-263-2777, or emailed to OVS@jud.ct.gov. Victims can also call the Connecticut Department of Corrections Victim Services Unit at 1-888-869-7057. Victims can also find information about parole through the Board of Pardons and Paroles Victim Services Unit (VSU).

Prosecutorial Review

Prosecutors can reconsider the conviction to be sure it is just.
  • Connecticut’s Office of the Chief State’s Attorney has established a Conviction Integrity Unit to independently review past convictions of people who claim innocence. Review is entirely discretionary, and a denial of review or relief cannot be challenged in court.

Clemency

In rare cases, the Board of Pardons and Paroles may grant the convicted person relief from their sentence or conviction.
  • The Board of Pardons and Paroles can grant clemency to people convicted of felonies under Connecticut law. Clemency typically takes one of two forms: a pardon (which forgives a conviction) or a commutation (which shortens a person’s sentence). The Board can also grant certificates of rehabilitation, which provide relief from barriers that may prevent convicted people from obtaining licenses or employment.
  • Victims can contact the Victim Advocates in the Connecticut Board of Pardons and Paroles and the Office of Victim Services for more information on clemency notifications.

Victims Rights
Post-Conviction

In Connecticut, victims have the right to:
  • Be treated with fairness and respect
  • Timely disposition of the case
  • Information about the sentence, imprisonment, and release of the convicted person*
  • Notification of court proceedings*
  • Be present at court proceedings
  • Communicate with the prosecution
  • Seek restitution and apply for crime victim’s compensation


* All rights to notification require the victim to provide and update their information with the District Attorney, Attorney General, Department of Corrections, and/or the Board of Paroles and Pardons.

Compensation

  • Restitution is a court-ordered payment from the defendant to the victim to account for the victim’s economic loss. Apart from court-ordered restitution, the Connecticut Victims’ Compensation Assistance Program reimburses victims for expenses related to the crime, such as healthcare and funeral costs.
  • Victims should contact the Court Support Services Division of the Connecticut Judicial Branch for assistance with court-ordered restitution. Additionally, victims can apply to the Connecticut Victim Compensation Program by filling out an application and mailing, faxing, or emailing it to the Victim Compensation Unit of the Office of Victim Services. Victims may call 1-888-286-7347 for assistance with filling out the application. Victims must apply within two years of the crime or apply for a waiver of the two-year filing requirement. 
Click here to learn more about the post-conviction process and victims’ rights in Connecticut

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