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The General Assembly has adopted a new law that increases minimum penalties for persistent felons, but leaves final sentencing in the hands of judges. It also provides new funding to supervise those released from prison. Lawmakers voted down Gov. Jodi Rell’s proposed “three strikes and out” – life in prison for a third felony – bill that would have taken sentencing out of judges’ discretion. After more than two hours' debate, the House Friday by a 128-12 vote gave final approval to the Senate-passed bill, which provides that the minimum penalties prescribed by current law be doubled for a second felony conviction, and tripled for third offenses. It will also provide a new $10 million for more parole officers and prison guards, prosecutors and public defenders, for closer supervision of sex offenders on probation, for truancy prevention, tracking down of probation violators and other related measures. “We are grateful to our many members who wrote or phoned their legislators to oppose the more draconian three-strikes measure,” said Andrew Schneider, executive director of the ACLU of Connecticut. Read a detailed newspaper account:
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