The Connecticut Post -Conviction Non-DNA Program

The purpose of the Wrongful Conviction Review Program is to provide high quality and efficient representation for potentially wrongfully convicted defendants in post-conviction claims of innocence. This program is funded under the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act,Pub. L. No. 112-10, div. B, secs. 1101-1104; Pub. L. No. 111-117, 123 Stat. 3034, 3134. Post-conviction innocence claims are likely to include complex challenges to the reliability or accuracy of evidence presented at trial which fall mainly into three categories: eyewitness identification evidence; confession evidence; and forensic evidence. The goals of this initiative are to: provide quality representation to those who may have been wrongfully convicted; alleviate burdens placed on the criminal justice system through costly and prolonged post-conviction litigation; and identify, whenever possible, the actual perpetrator of the crime.

The Connecticut Innocence Project, through the State of Connecticut Public Defender Services, will use the award to fund an attorney, private investigator, and database administrator in order to expedite case review in a more timely and efficient manner. Currently the ability to screen, evaluate and process non-DNA claims of innocence are affected by limited staff and there is a substantial delay in investigating cases in an efficient manner. Grant funding will improve the speed by which claims are processed and handled by an additional attorney and investigator, and will allow the attorneys to focus on case review while a database administrator tracks the cases. The quality of legal representation will improve because the investigations will be conducted in a timely manner, and the level and extent of investigations will increase with the additional resources.

CA/NCF