Written Testimony on Increasing Criminal Justice Commission Line Item Budget

While the Criminal Justice Commission (CJC) oversees the weighty task of appointing all state prosecutors employed by the Division of Criminal Justice, it operates on a shoestring budget with limited power. The ACLU-CT envisions a CJC that is independent from the Division of Criminal Justice, with stronger disciplinary mechanisms and sufficient funding to evaluate state’s attorneys and conduct investigations into any prosecutorial misconduct. With this potential growth in power comes the need to ensure the CJC’s budget is structured to match this expansion. Adequate funding is critical as the CJC prepares to conduct a national search to appoint the state’s next chief state’s attorney. The ACLU-CT urges this Committee to bolster the CJC’s independence and facilitate robust appointment searches by increasing its line item budget.