Bill Text: CT SB00663 | 2015 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: An Act Establishing A Pilot Program To Identify And Track The Homeless, Addicted Or Mentally Ill Persons Entering The Justice System.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-01-23 - Referred to Joint Committee on Judiciary [SB00663 Detail]

Download: Connecticut-2015-SB00663-Introduced.html

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General Assembly		Proposed Bill No. 663
January Session, 2015		LCO No. 2049
		*02049*
Referred to Committee on JUDICIARY
Introduced by:
SEN. FASANO, 34th Dist. SEN. WITKOS, 8th Dist. SEN. KISSEL, 7th Dist.

AN ACT ESTABLISHING A PILOT PROGRAM TO IDENTIFY AND TRACK THE HOMELESS, ADDICTED OR MENTALLY ILL PERSONS ENTERING THE JUSTICE SYSTEM.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

That a pilot program be established in the New Haven and New London/Norwich geographical area courts, where the prosecutor's office shall screen in order to identify and track persons arrested who are homeless, drug addicted or mentally ill for intensive assistance, and shall refer such persons to diversion programs, counseling, treatment, housing assistance and reentry programs in an effort to stabilize such person and prevent future arrests, provided prosecutors retain the discretion to dispose of such cases in any manner, with a focus on alternatives to incarceration and that the court shall maintain jurisdiction over the cases to ensure compliance with any ordered treatment or counseling.

Statement of Purpose:

To create a pilot program to identify and track the homeless, addicted or mentally ill persons entering the justice system, with the intention of referring them to treatment and assistance as an alternative to incarceration and to reduce recidivism.