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Sentencing commission to form CIS advisory committee to review access to statewide justice data
Summary
The Connecticut Sentencing Commission agreed June 17 to form a CIS Advisory Committee to study what data the Connecticut Information Sharing System contains, judicial-branch concerns about access, and whether the commission should have direct access; the steering committee will meet to set membership and next steps.
The Connecticut Sentencing Commission on June 17 authorized the creation of an advisory committee to evaluate access to the Connecticut Information Sharing System (CIS, sometimes referred to as SIS) and to identify strengths and gaps in the state’s currently separate criminal justice databases.
Chair of the commission (first reference in meeting: Chair) described a formal request from Representative Stafstrom and Senator Winfield, co-chairs of the General Assembly Judiciary Committee, asking the commission to “use CIS data to identify trends and best practices related to court proceedings” and to develop recommendations aimed at improving efficiency and transparency. The co-chairs asked for a response by Jan. 1.
Commission members raised concerns that agencies had contributed data to CIS only under assurances about controlled access. Senator Len Fasano and Representative Dyson urged the commission to review legislative intent and the historical give-and-take that shaped CIS, and warned against becoming embroiled in an interagency “turf” conflict without clarifying limits and protections. The chair proposed an advisory body that would include representatives from SIS and the judicial branch so people with institutional knowledge could explain what data are collected and how access has been limited.
The commission gave unanimous consent for the steering committee to form the CIS Advisory Committee. Staff were asked to schedule a remote steering-committee meeting for Tuesday, June 23, to identify membership and begin work. The chair said the panel’s purpose is to provide an accurate assessment of available data and to examine whether and how the commission should obtain direct access while protecting confidentiality and respecting other agencies’ concerns.
Next steps: the steering committee will select members, including SIS and judicial-branch representatives, and report back to the full commission. The issue remains time-sensitive because the Legislature’s co-chairs requested recommendations by Jan. 1.
