Sec. 54-126a. Testimony of crime victim at parole hearing. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 54-126a. Testimony of crime victim at parole hearing. (a) For the purposes of this section, "victim" means a person who is a victim of a crime, the legal representative of such person, a member of a deceased victim's immediate family or a person designated by a deceased victim in accordance with section 1-56r.

      (b) At a hearing held by a panel of the Board of Pardons and Paroles for the purpose of determining the eligibility for parole of an inmate incarcerated for the commission of any crime, such panel shall permit any victim of the crime for which the inmate is incarcerated to appear before the panel for the purpose of making a statement for the record concerning whether the inmate should be released on parole or the nature of any terms or conditions to be imposed upon any such release. In lieu of such appearance, the victim may submit a written statement to the panel and the panel shall make such statement a part of the record at the parole hearing.

      (c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the board from exercising its discretion to permit a member or members of a victim's immediate family to appear before the panel and make a statement in accordance with subsection (b) of this section.

      (P.A. 83-416; P.A. 85-566, S. 2; P.A. 91-389, S. 7, 12; P.A. 01-211, S. 9; P.A. 02-105, S. 14; P.A. 04-234, S. 2; Jan. Sp. Sess. P.A. 08-1, S. 13.)

      History: P.A. 85-566 amended Subsec. (c) to replace provision that nothing in the section shall be construed to require the state to give notice to a victim of a scheduled parole hearing with provision that the board shall notify a victim of the date, time and place of the hearing if the victim requests notice and provides a current address; P.A. 91-389 amended Subsec. (a) to revise the definition of "victim" and deleted Subsec. (c) re the requirement that the board notify a victim who has requested notice of the date, time and place of the hearing, effective April 1, 1992; P.A. 01-211 amended Subsec. (a) to redefine "victim" and amended Subsec. (b) to make provisions applicable at a hearing for an inmate incarcerated for the commission of "any crime" rather than "a class A, B or C felony or a violation of section 53a-60a, 53a-60c, 53a-72b, 53a-103a or 53a-216"; P.A. 02-105 amended Subsec. (a) by adding a person designated by a victim pursuant to Sec. 1-56r to definition of "victim"; P.A. 04-234 replaced Board of Parole with Board of Pardons and Paroles, effective July 1, 2004; Jan. Sp. Sess. P.A. 08-1 added Subsec. (c) re board's discretion to permit a member or members of victim's immediate family to appear before panel and make a statement, effective January 25, 2008.

      See Sec. 54-220a re assignment of victim advocates to assist victims at hearings.

      Cited. 32 CA 438.