Sec. 53a-29. Probation and conditional discharge: Criteria; periods; continuation or termination.
Sec. 53a-29. Probation and conditional discharge: Criteria; periods; continuation or termination. (a) The court may sentence a person to a period of probation
upon conviction of any crime, other than a class A felony, if it is of the opinion that:
(1) Present or extended institutional confinement of the defendant is not necessary for
the protection of the public; (2) the defendant is in need of guidance, training or assistance
which, in the defendant's case, can be effectively administered through probation supervision; and (3) such disposition is not inconsistent with the ends of justice.
(b) The court may impose a sentence of conditional discharge for an offense, other
than a class A felony, if it is of the opinion that: (1) Present or extended institutional
confinement of the defendant is not necessary for the protection of the public; and (2)
probation supervision is not appropriate.
(c) When the court imposes a sentence of conditional discharge, the defendant shall
be released with respect to the conviction for which the sentence is imposed but shall
be subject, during the period of such conditional discharge, to such conditions as the
court may determine. The court shall impose the period of conditional discharge authorized by subsection (d) of this section and shall specify, in accordance with section 53a-30, the conditions to be complied with. When a person is sentenced to a period of probation the court shall impose the period authorized by subsection (d), (e) or (f) of this
section and may impose any conditions authorized by section 53a-30. When a person
is sentenced to a period of probation, such person shall pay to the court a fee of two
hundred dollars and shall be placed under the supervision of the Court Support Services
Division.
(d) Except as provided in subsection (f) of this section, the period of probation or
conditional discharge, unless terminated sooner as provided in section 53a-32 or 53a-33, shall be as follows: (1) For a class B felony, not more than five years; (2) for a class
C or D felony or an unclassified felony, not more than three years; (3) for a class A
misdemeanor, not more than two years; (4) for a class B or C misdemeanor, not more
than one year; and (5) for an unclassified misdemeanor, not more than one year if the
authorized sentence of imprisonment is three months or less, or not more than two years
if the authorized sentence of imprisonment is in excess of three months, or where the
defendant is charged with failure to provide subsistence for dependents, a determinate
or indeterminate period.
(e) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (d) of this section, the court may,
in its discretion, on a case by case basis, sentence a person to a period of probation which
period, unless terminated sooner as provided in section 53a-32 or 53a-33, shall be as
follows: (1) For a class C or D felony or an unclassified felony, not more than five
years; (2) for a class A misdemeanor, not more than three years; and (3) for a class B
misdemeanor, not more than two years.
(f) The period of probation, unless terminated sooner as provided in section 53a-32, shall be not less than ten years or more than thirty-five years for conviction of a
violation of subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of section 53-21 or section 53a-70, 53a-70a, 53a-70b, 53a-71, 53a-72a, 53a-72b, 53a-90a, 53a-196b, 53a-196c, 53a-196d, 53a-196e or 53a-196f.
(g) Whenever the court sentences a person, on or after October 1, 2008, to a period
of probation of more than two years for a class C or D felony or an unclassified felony
or more than one year for a class A or B misdemeanor, the probation officer supervising
such person shall submit a report to the sentencing court, the state's attorney and the
attorney of record, if any, for such person, not later than sixty days prior to the date such
person completes two years of such person's period of probation for such felony or
one year of such person's period of probation for such misdemeanor setting forth such
person's progress in addressing such person's assessed needs and complying with the
conditions of such person's probation. The probation officer shall recommend, in accordance with guidelines developed by the Judicial Branch, whether such person's sentence of probation should be continued for the duration of the original period of probation
or be terminated. Not later than sixty days after receipt of such report, the sentencing
court shall continue the sentence of probation or terminate the sentence of probation.
Notwithstanding the provisions of section 53a-32, the parties may agree to waive the
requirement of a court hearing. The Court Support Services Division shall establish
within its policy and procedures a requirement that any victim be notified whenever
a person's sentence of probation may be terminated pursuant to this subsection. The
sentencing court shall permit such victim to appear before the sentencing court for the
purpose of making a statement for the record concerning whether such person's sentence
of probation should be terminated. In lieu of such appearance, the victim may submit
a written statement to the sentencing court and the sentencing court shall make such
statement a part of the record. Prior to ordering that such person's sentence of probation
be continued or terminated, the sentencing court shall consider the statement made or
submitted by such victim.
(1969, P.A. 828, S. 29; 1971, P.A. 871, S. 124, 129; P.A. 79-585, S. 8, 15; P.A. 89-219, S. 6, 10; P.A. 92-260, S. 12;
P.A. 93-340, S. 12, 19; P.A. 95-142, S. 2; P.A. 01-84, S. 14, 26; P.A. 02-132, S. 30; P.A. 04-139, S. 8; P.A. 05-288, S.
181; P.A. 08-102, S. 1.)
History: 1971 act repealed former Subsec. (e) requiring probation officer to make recommendation as to advisability
of continuing probation after probationer has been on probation for a year and allowing person on probation to be heard
by court with respect to continuance or discontinuance of probation; P.A. 79-585 replaced commission on adult probation
with office of adult probation in Subsec. (c); P.A. 89-219 amended Subsec. (c) to require a person sentenced to a period
of probation to pay to the court a fee of $200; P.A. 92-260 amended Subsec. (c) to make technical changes and amended
Subsec. (d) to replace "hereinafter provided" with "provided in section 53a-32 or 53a-33" and to replace in Subdiv. (5)
"less than three months" with "three months or less"; P.A. 93-340 amended Subsec. (d)(1) to add exception re Subsec. (e)
and added Subsec. (e) to authorize a period of probation of not more than 35 years for conviction of a sexual assault under
certain circumstances, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-142 amended Subsec. (e) to delete reference to an early termination
of probation as provided in Sec. 53a-33, establish a minimum period of probation of 10 years, include a violation of Sec.
53-21(2) and delete the provisions that limited the applicability of the Subsec. to where the conviction is of a second or
subsequent violation or the defendant was 18 years of age or older and the victim was under 13 years of age; P.A. 01-84
amended Subsec. (e) to replace reference to "subdivision (2) of section 53-21" with "subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of
section 53-21", effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 02-132 amended Subsec. (c) by replacing "Office of Adult Probation" with
"Court Support Services Division" and making a technical change; P.A. 04-139 amended Subsec. (e) to include a violation
of Sec. 53a-90a, 53a-196b, 53a-196c, 53a-196d, 53a-196e or 53a-196f; P.A. 05-288 made technical changes in Subsec.
(e), effective July 13, 2005; P.A. 08-102 amended Subsec. (c) to replace reference to period of probation authorized by
"subsection (d) of this section" with period authorized by "subsection (d), (e) or (f) of this section", amended Subsec. (d)
to add exception re Subsec. (f) and to decrease maximum period of probation for class C or D felony or unclassified felony
from 5 years to 3 years, for class A misdemeanor from 3 years to 2 years and for class B misdemeanor from 2 years to 1
year, added new Subsec. (e) re authority of the court to sentence a person to a maximum period of probation of 5 years for
class C or D felony or unclassified felony, 3 years for class A misdemeanor and 2 years for class B misdemeanor, redesignated existing Subsec. (e) as Subsec. (f), added Subsec. (g) re procedure for continuation or termination of a person's
period of probation after such person completes 2 years of such period if such person was sentenced to a period of probation
for more than 2 years for class C or D felony or unclassified felony or after such person completes 1 year of such period
if such person was sentenced to a period of probation for more than 1 year for class A or B misdemeanor, and made technical
changes.
Cited. 170 C. 128. Cited. 197 C. 337. Cited. 198 C. 671. Cited. 200 C. 268. Cited. 204 C. 52. Cited. 210 C. 519. Cited.
222 C. 299. Cited. 225 C. 46. Cited. 229 C. 285.
Cited. 9 CA 686. Cited. 12 CA 32. Cited. 30 CA 416. Cited. 32 CA 1. Cited. 34 CA 1.
Cited. 41 CS 229.
Subsec. (a):
Cited. 22 CA 108.
Cited. 37 CS 853.
Subsec. (b):
Cited. 182 C. 595.
Subsec. (d):
Subdiv. (1) cited. 37 CA 72.
Subsec. (e):
Sec. 2 of P.A. 95-142, which expanded probation eligibility factors and increased mandatory probation minimum
sentence, did not have retroactive effect. 253 C. 392.