Appendix 1

Primer on Terms Associated with
Connecticut’s Criminal Justice System

For the approximate two-thirds of people that have no personal experience with the criminal justice system, either personally or through a family member or acquaintance, we are including a primer on terms commonly encountered when dealing with these complex issues and circumstances.
We ask that you reflect on your own difficulty understanding these often
arcane, technical, legal and uncommon concepts and issues, with which
your Second Chance recruits may be equally struggling.

Types of Criminal Offenses

Crimes in Connecticut are classified by their seriousness based on their harm to the victim, the community, and society. The level of seriousness of a crime determines the punitiveness of the Judge’s sentence. There are four types of crimes in Connecticut.

Felony: Crimes that are punishable with imprisonment over 1 year depending on their severity.
Felonies are ranked in severity: capital felony (mandatory life in prison sentence, A felony (10 to 60 years in prison), B felony (1 to 40 years in prison), C felony (1 to 10 years in prison), D felony (up to 5 years in prison), and E felony (up to 3 years in prison). A “felon” is someone who has been convicted of a felony.

Misdemeanor: Crimes that are punishable with imprisonment not more than 1 year. These
crimes are also ranked in severity and can be A, B, C, or D misdemeanors. A “misdemeanant” is someone who has been convicted of a misdemeanor.

Violation and Infraction: Minor crimes that usually involve more serious traffic-related offenses, motor equipment deficiencies, or city/town ordinance violations (e.g., illegal parking or noise complaints). Violations require that drivers pay a fine and may involve court appearances. These offenses may become part of a person’s driving record but will not be part of their criminal record.

Infraction: A minor traffic violation that can result in a fine and typically does not require a court appearance. These offenses may become part of a person’s driving record but will not be part of their criminal record.

Technical Violation: A violation of the rules associated with community supervision (probation, parole, transitional supervision, or halfway house) such as not attending required programming, leaving the state without permission, not reporting changes in address, etc. Some of these violations may go on a person’s criminal record and lead to return to incarceration or a new sentence of incarceration.

Types of Criminal Justice Supervision