Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-203

Current with legislation from the 2024 Regular and Special Sessions.

Section 54-203 - Office of Victim Services established. Powers and duties

(a) There is established an Office of Victim Services within the Judicial Department.

(b) The Office of Victim Services shall have the following powers and duties:

(1) To direct each hospital, whether public or private, each university or college health services center, whether public or private, and each community health center, as defined in section 19a-490a, to prominently display posters in a conspicuous location giving notice of the availability of compensation and assistance to victims of crime or their dependents pursuant to sections 54-201 to 54-218, inclusive, and to direct every law enforcement agency of the state to inform victims of crime or their dependents of their rights pursuant to sections 54-201 to 54-218, inclusive;

(2) To obtain from the office of the state's attorney, state police, local police departments or any law enforcement agency such investigation and data as will enable the Office of Victim Services to determine if in fact the applicant was a victim of a crime or attempted crime and the extent, if any, to which the victim or claimant was responsible for his own injury, including, but not limited to, a request for information form promulgated by the Office of Victim Services;

(3) To request from the Department of Correction, other units of the Judicial Department and the Board of Pardons and Paroles such information as will enable the Office of Victim Services to determine if in fact a person who has requested notification pursuant to section 54-228 was a victim of a crime;

(4) To take or cause to be taken affidavits or depositions within or without the state;

(5) To apply for, receive, allocate, disburse and account for grants of funds made available by the United States, by the state, foundations, corporations and other businesses, agencies or individuals to implement a program for victim services which shall assist witnesses and victims of crimes as the Office of Victim Services deems appropriate within the resources available and to coordinate services to victims by state and community-based agencies, with priority given to victims of violent crimes, by (A) assigning such victim advocates as are necessary to provide assistance; (B) administering victim service programs; and (C) awarding grants or purchase of service contracts to private nonprofit organizations or local units of government for the direct delivery of services, except that the provision of training and technical assistance of victim service providers and the development and implementation of public education campaigns may be provided by private nonprofit or for-profit organizations or local units of government. Such grants and contracts shall be the predominant method by which the Office of Victim Services shall develop, implement and operate direct service programs and provide training and technical assistance to victim service providers;

(6) To provide each person who applies for compensation pursuant to section 54-204, within ten days of the date of receipt of such application, with a written list of rights of victims of crime involving personal injury and the programs available in this state to assist such victims. The Office of Victim Services, the state or any agent, employee or officer thereof shall not be liable for the failure to supply such list or any alleged inadequacies of such list. Such list shall include, but not be limited to:

(A) Subject to the provisions of sections 18-81e and 51-286e, the victim shall have the right to be informed concerning the status of his or her case and to be informed of the release from custody of the defendant;

(B) Subject to the provisions of section 54-91c, the victim shall have the right to present a statement of his or her losses, injuries and wishes to the prosecutor and the court prior to the acceptance by the court of a plea of guilty or nolo contendere made pursuant to a plea agreement with the state wherein the defendant pleads to a lesser offense than the offense with which the defendant was originally charged;

(C) Subject to the provisions of section 54-91c, prior to the imposition of sentence upon the defendant, the victim shall have the right to submit a statement to the prosecutor as to the extent of any injuries, financial losses and loss of earnings directly resulting from the crime. Upon receipt of the statement, the prosecutor shall file the statement with the sentencing court and the statement shall be made a part of the record and considered by the court at the sentencing hearing;

(D) Subject to the provisions of section 54-126a, the victim shall have the right to appear before a panel of the Board of Pardons and Paroles and make a statement as to whether the defendant should be released on parole and any terms or conditions to be imposed upon any such release;

(E) Subject to the provisions of section 54-36a, the victim shall have the right to have any property the victim owns which was seized by police in connection with an arrest to be returned;

(F) Subject to the provisions of sections 54-56e and 54-142c, the victim shall have the right to be notified of the application by the defendant for the pretrial program for accelerated rehabilitation and to obtain from the court information as to whether the criminal prosecution in the case has been dismissed;

(G) Subject to the provisions of section 54-85b, the victim cannot be fired, harassed or otherwise retaliated against by an employer for appearing under a subpoena as a witness in any criminal prosecution;

(H) Subject to the provisions of section 54-86g, the parent or legal guardian of a child twelve years of age or younger who is a victim of child abuse or sexual assault may request special procedural considerations to be taken during the testimony of the child;

(I) Subject to the provisions of section 46b-15, the victim of assault by a spouse or former spouse, family or household member has the right to request the arrest of the offender, request a protective order and apply for a restraining order;

(J) Subject to the provisions of sections 52-146k, 54-86e and 54-86f, the victim of sexual assault or domestic violence can expect certain records to remain confidential; and

(K) Subject to the provisions of section 53a-32, the victim and any victim advocate assigned to assist the victim may receive notification from a probation officer whenever the officer has notified a police officer that the probation officer has probable cause to believe that the offender has violated a condition of such offender's probation;

(7) Within available appropriations, to maintain a victim's assistance center which shall (A) make available to victims information regarding victim's rights and available services, (B) maintain a victims' notification system pursuant to sections 54-227 to 54-230a, inclusive, and 54-235, and (C) maintain a toll-free number for access to information regarding victims' rights and available services;

(8) To provide a telephone helpline that shall provide information on referrals for various services for victims of crime and their families;

(9) To provide staff services to a state advisory council. The council shall consist of not more than twenty members to be appointed by the Chief Justice and shall include the Chief Victim Compensation Commissioner and members who represent victim populations, including but not limited to, homicide survivors, family violence victims, sexual assault victims, victims of gun violence, victims of drunk drivers, and assault and robbery victims, and members who represent the judicial branch and executive branch agencies involved with victims of crime. The members shall serve for terms of four years. Any vacancy in the membership shall be filled by the appointing authority for the balance of the unexpired term. The members shall receive no compensation for their services. The council shall meet at least four times a year. The council shall recommend to the Office of Victim Services program, legislative or other matters which would improve services to victims of crime and develop and coordinate needs assessments for both court-based and community-based victim services. The Chief Justice shall appoint two members to serve as cochairpersons. Not later than December fifteenth of each year, the council shall report the results of its findings and activities to the Chief Court Administrator;

(10) To utilize such voluntary and uncompensated services of private individuals, agencies and organizations as may from time to time be offered and needed;

(11) To recommend policies and make recommendations to agencies and officers of the state and local subdivisions of government relative to victims of crime;

(12) To provide support and assistance to state-wide victim services coalitions and groups;

(13) To provide a training program for judges, prosecutors, police, probation and parole personnel, bail commissioners, intake, assessment and referral specialists, officers from the Department of Correction and judicial marshals to inform them of victims' rights and available services;

(14) To (A) maintain, within available appropriations, a sexual assault forensic examiners program that will train and make available sexual assault forensic examiners to adolescent and adult victims of sexual assault who are patients at participating health care facilities. In order to maintain such program, the Office of Victim Services may apply for, receive, allocate, disburse and account for grants of funds made available by the United States, the state, foundations, corporations and other businesses, agencies or individuals; or (B) establish, within available appropriations, a training program for health care professionals on the care of and collection of evidence from adolescent and adult victims of sexual assault;

(15) To provide victims of crime and the general public with information detailing the process by which a victim may register to receive notices of hearings of the Board of Pardons and Paroles; and

(16) To submit to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to the judiciary, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, on or before January 15, 2000, and biennially thereafter a report of its activities under sections 54-201 to 54-235, inclusive.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-203

(P.A. 78-261, S. 3, 17; P.A. 80-390, S. 2, 5; P.A. 83-341; P.A. 85-609, S. 1; P.A. 86-401, S. 1; P.A. 87-514, S. 1, 4; 87-554, S. 2; P.A. 91-389 , S. 10 ; P.A. 92-153 , S. 3 ; P.A. 93-91 , S. 1 , 2 ; 93-262 , S. 1 , 87 ; 93-310 , S. 2 , 32 ; 93-381 , S. 9 , 39 ; P.A. 95-257 , S. 12 , 21 , 58 ; P.A. 96-97 , S. 1 ; P.A. 97-257 , S. 3 , 13 ; P.A. 99-184 , S. 1 -3; P.A. 00-99 , S. 125 , 154 ; 00-196 , S. 44 ; P.A. 04-234 , S. 2 ; P.A. 05-288 , S. 190 ; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 , S. 49 ; P.A. 12-114 , S. 17 ; 12-133 , S. 25 ; P.A. 13-214 , S. 2 ; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-2 , S. 18 ; P.A. 17-99 , S. 22 .)

Amended by P.A. 24-0108,S. 23 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2024 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2024.

Amended by P.A. 19-0114, S. 4 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2019 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2019.

Amended by P.A. 17-0099, S. 22 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2017 Regular Session, eff. 10/1/2017.

Amended by P.A. 15-0002, S. 18 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2015 Special Session, eff. 7/1/2015.