SURVEY: REVAMP JUSTICE SYSTEM

Most Connecticut residents favor overhauling the state's criminal justice
system, according to a survey.

The survey by The Council of State Governments Eastern Regional Conference,
said crime victims, in particular, are unhappy.

The survey also was done in eight other Northeast states, including New
York, Massachusetts, Maine and Vermont. It was released today by the State
Government Council. The council is a non-profit, non-partisan organization
that every elected and appointed official in the state belongs to, said
spokesman Mike Thompson.

Only 26 percent of crime victims in Connecticut who reported a crime in
which an arrest was made in the past 10 years, said that someone had told
them or their family members about their rights as crime victims.

The survey shows that 79 percent of the state's residents feel that the
criminal justice system should be revamped. More than 50 percent said they
feel less safe in their communities than they did 15 years ago.

The survey found that for certain crimes, many Connecticut residents said
they would favor drug treatment programs instead of incarceration if the
offender has a drug addiction. Respondents also said that they favor
several different outcomes, including jail, and reimbursement for treatment
of injuries or property damage.

Danbury Supervisory Assistant State's Attorney Patricia Froehlich said she
agrees with that part of the survey. "This is representative of what we see
and what we hear from victims," Froehlich said. Though some victims do go
too far.

"There are those victims who want a 20-year sentence for a crime that
carries only a 5-year penalty."

Froehlich says the prosecutors in her office treat victims well.

The office, like others throughout the state, has a victim advocate, who
maintains a relationship with the victim during the case. "We try to get in
touch with the victims and Dave does an outstanding job," said Froehlich,
referring to the office's victim advocate, David Pond. She also said that
many of the prosecutors maintain their own relationship with crime victims.

"In my 3 1/2 years as supervisory assistant state's attorney I have had
very few complaints from victims who were not happy," Froehlich said,
adding that she can recall only five victims who voiced unhappiness over
how their case was handled. Bridgeport criminal defense lawyer, Eugene
Riccio, who defends Danbury clients, disagrees with parts of the survey.
But he believes that some prosecutors' offices go too far to please
victims. "I've seen just the opposite," Riccio said. "In some cases it is
being arbitrarily done and it's interfering with the system."

"The criminal justice system wasn't designed for victims to call the
shots," Riccio said.

Mike Lawlor, a Connecticut state representative who is the co-chairman of
the Legislature's Judiciary Committee, said he thought the criminal justice
system was improving, but apparently that is not the case.

"What the poll tells us....the consumers of it are still as upset as they
were five or 10 years ago or maybe more so," said Lawlor, who is also the
chairman of the council's Criminal Justice Board of Directors.

Lawlor said that there is definitely a "perception problem." The crime
victims perceive that the system is lenient but the opposite is true. More
criminals are going away for longer periods of time, he said.

In 1980, the prison population was at 3,800 but today there are about
17,000 inmates. "There's a huge increase."

Lawlor said that victims of violent crimes he has spoken to feel that
prosecutors and courts are overwhelmed, don't have enough time for their
cases and don't return calls in time.

A constitutional amendment, which was passed in 1996, was designed to help
victims, but he said he believes that some prosecutors and judges don't
understand what the amendment is all about. However, Froehlich said that
all eight prosecutors in the Danbury office are very aware of it.

Thompson, the spokesman for the council, said the survey was undertaken
because state officials have been criticized for the way the state handles
crime victims and they wanted to know the extent of the problem so they
could change.

Thompson pointed out that victims in the other states surveyed had feelings
similar to their Connecticut counterparts.

Across the Northeast, 48 percent of the crime victims interviewed stated
they were satisfied with the outcome of the case. The least satisfying
aspects of cases were poor communication with the courts, prosecutors,
police and other criminal justice officials, according to the survey.

A national public opinion and research organization with headquarters in
New York City conducted the survey for the council. The firm interviewed
400 adults by telephone, spending 18 minutes with each of them.