Joan K. Alexander

This National Guide to Improving Court Appearances by Ideas42 aims to help courts achieve greater equity and efficiency in pretrial systems by adopting practices that support court users' participation in hearings. It outlines four key principles: making information clear, timely, and accessible; reducing logistical challenges; adding flexibility to court processes; and providing useful resources. The guide intends to reduce nonappearance, prevent case delays, and improve overall court efficiency while supporting court users with their obligations.

The Pretrial Working Group meeting focused on preparations for the legislative session and a presentation on failure to appear (FTA) warrants. Key discussions included potential legislative actions regarding pretrial reform and addressing concerns that some courts require a guilty plea for Juvenile Review Implementation (JRI) diversionary programs. The group debated proposals for increasing funding for treatment beds as an alternative to Department of Correction (DOC) beds, emphasizing the need for cost-benefit analysis and consistency in the criminal process. Significant attention was given to the 38,000 active FTA warrants, noting that 81% are for misdemeanors. The group analyzed detention rates based on prior FTA history and discussed modifying risk assessment tools, such as the weighting of FTAs versus pending charges, and exploring policy interventions like expanding court date reminders to increase appearance rates.

The Mental Health Committee meeting included an update on the study concerning intellectual and developmental disabilities, noting efforts to track recidivism rates and compile best practices across numerous states, with a draft anticipated by late 2025. A significant portion of the meeting involved a detailed overview and discussion of the Competency to Stand Trial report, including competency evaluation procedures, restoration processes, and data trends. Key recommendations from the report were presented, focusing on convening stakeholders, enhancing data collection, increasing diversion, improving community restoration services, and investigating best practices for individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities and those with dementia or acquired brain injuries. The Committee voted to forward the report and its recommendations to the Full Commission for final approval.

The meeting convened with the introduction of the new Chair of the Sentencing Commission. Key discussions focused on the Hate Crime Statutes Report, where edits suggested clarifying statutory workability for all practitioners and encouraging legislative review of current statutes; the committee voted unanimously to advance the report to the full Commission. An update was provided on the Pretrial Working Group's progress, including developing a charge, assessing pretrial data availability, and evaluating past legislative impacts. Other business included an update on family impact statements, noting collaboration with external entities to explore adding them to presentence investigation reports, and determining that this committee is the appropriate forum for discussing related proposals.

This report details key findings and recommendations from a commission study on the experiences of individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) in Connecticut's criminal justice system. It proposes the establishment of an I/DD diversionary program. The report emphasizes improving data collection and training for criminal justice agencies, refining statutory I/DD definitions, and outlines specific components for the diversionary program including individualized support plans, aftercare, and a robust success measurement framework.