Many victims of impaired driving crashes have had their lives turned upside down and they often need support. That is why MADD offers free direct victim services to those dealing with the aftermath of a crash.
Free Victim Services Provided:
- Offering emotional support and provide information by phone or in person
- Provides a wide selection of free literature, available in English and Spanish for victims/survivors
- Assist victims in obtaining and completing an application for Crime Victims Compensation
- Assist in providing a list of professional counselors skilled to work with crash victims
- Assist in understanding the various laws related to drunk driving laws and victim rights in Connecticut
- Referrals to civil attorneys specializing in wrongful death and personal injury cases
- Assistance with preparation of a Victim Impact Statement to present at the sentencing of the offender
- Accompany you to court or if you are unable to attend, keep you informed of the legal proceedings
- Assist in preparing statements for parole hearings
If you need to speak with someone immediately, call MADD's Victim/Survivor Helpline at 1-877-MADD-HELP (877-623-3435) and speak directly with a counselor who is ready to help you 24 hours a day.
Contact a MADD CT Victim Advocate directly at 203-764-2566:
Michelle Lettieri, Director of Victim Serivces: ext. 6959
Jennifer Rossi, Lead Victim Services Specialist: ext. 6951
Or call us Toll-Free at 1-800-544-3690
Or email us ct.state@madd.org
MADD - Servicios para victimas http://www.madd.org/espanol/servicios-para-vctimas.html
What Are Your Rights As A Victim?
Constitution of the State of Connecticut
Article XXIX - Rights of Victims of Crime
1. The right to be treated with fairness and respect throughout the criminal justice system;
2. The right to timely disposition of the case following arrest of the accused, provided no right of the accused is abridged;
3. The right to be reasonably protected from the accused throughout the criminal justice process;
4. The right to notification of court proceedings;
5. The right to attend the trial and all other court proceedings the accused has the right to attend, unless such person is to testify and the court determines that such person's testimony would be materially affected if such person hears other testimony;
6. The right to communicate with the prosecution;
7. The right to object to or support any plea agreement entered into by the accused and the prosecution and to make a statement to the court prior to the acceptance by the court of the plea of guilty or nolo contendere by the accused;
8. The right to make a statement to the court at sentencing;
9. The right to restitution which shall be enforceable in the same manner as any other cause of action or as otherwise provided by law; and
10. The right to information about the arrest, conviction, sentence, imprisonment and release of the accused.
In Connecticut, victims of crime can exercise the above rights of notification by providing the State's Attorney with a current mailing address and telephone number.
Connecticut Statewide Automated Victim Information and Notification (CT SAVIN):
CT SAVIN is a free, confidential service that provides crime victims, victim advocates, and other concerned citizens free and confidential notification about a specific criminal court related events.
Si quiere inscribirse para que se le notifique, sin costo alguno y de manera confidencial, sobre cambios al estado de encarcelación del acusado o su libertad provisional bajo condiciones de fianza y sobre procedimientos específicos que se llevarán a cabo en el tribunal penal, puede llamar al 1-877-846-3428. Se le atenderá en español. www.jud.ct.gov/espanol
Connecticut SAVIN is operated by the VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) service and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Crime victims and interested individuals may register for notification by telephone or e-mail; hearing and speech impaired individuals may also register by calling 711 for the Telecommunications Relay Service.
To register online: visit www.vinelink.com click on the Offenders with Court Cases flag or the Search and Register tab above and provide the required information.
Please note: If you misrepresent who you are when you register for notification by using another person's name, you are subject to criminal prosecution.
If your telephone number or e-mail address changes, you must update your information with CT SAVIN to continue receiving notifications.
To update your telephone number:
To update your email address, you must re-register the new email address.
CT SAVIN notification messages will be left on an answering machine. You may not want a child or other household member to hear a CT SAVIN message. Please register a telephone number that the child or other household members will not answer when this is the case.
In order to make sure that you get your notification, do not register a telephone number that rings to a switchboard.
A 4 digit personal identification number (PIN) must be given to stop the notification telephone calls.
Please note that you may still look up a pending court case, by visiting the Judicial Branch website. Once there you may click on Pending Cases, enter the defendant's name, and get the charges and next court appearance or click on Convictions and look-up a defendant's conviction history within the past 10 years in Connecticut. Please note that Youthful Offender or Diversion Programs will not appear on a defendant's record, due to the cases being sealed and dismissed once completed. However, the State's Attorneys and Judges will have access to these records only.
Informacion en Espanol: http://jud.ct.gov/espanol.htm
How to receive information about an inmate's status.
The Office of Victim Services (OVS) operates a Notification Program that offers these services:
- The State of Connecticut's Protection Order Registry Notification Program features automated notification to protected parties when protective orders terminate or five weeks prior to the expiration of restraining orders. An OVS victim services advocate is available to answer questions and provide referrals that may arise from the notification of the order termination. For more information, please call OVS at 800-822-8428, Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- The Post-Conviction Notification Program offers information about changes in the status of convicted inmates. This may include the dates and locations of:
Parole hearings*
Sentence review*
Sentence modification
Discharge from a correctional institution
Parole release
Halfway house release
Transitional supervision release
Pardons hearings
* By statute, victims have the right to make a statement at hearings before the Board of Pardons and Paroles and Sentence Review Division. In lieu of attending a hearing, the victim may submit a written statement. For further information, please call OVS at 800-822-8428, Board of Pardons and Paroles at 800-303-2884, or Sentence Review Division at 860-263-2735.
The Post-Conviction Notification Program does not provide information regarding furloughs, non-convicted persons, or convicted persons sent to state hospitals for mental illness.
Persons who may request notification are:
Crime victims
Parents/guardians
Relatives of crime victims
Legal representatives of crime victims
Inmate family members
State's attorneys
To register for notification please complete the Confidential Request for Notification of Status of Inmates. All requests are confidential. Each registrant is responsible for notifying OVS of telephone and/or address changes. For more information, please call OVS at 800-822-8428 (in Connecticut only), Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The Department of Correction (DOC) Victim Services Unit also operates a confidential victim notification program that provides notification when an inmate is released, escapes, or is scheduled for a sentence review or parole hearing. To learn more about the DOC notification program, please contact the DOC Victim Services Unit at 888-869-7057 or visit the Department of Correction website.
Also you may look up the status of an inmate by visiting the Department of Corrections website, enter the defendant's name or inmate numbers, and find out the status of that inmate.
Dept. of Corrections Inmate Information
Crime Victim Compensation
Crime Victim Compensation is a program administered by the Office of Victim Services (OVS) that assists eligible crime victims recover from the financial impact of the crime. The Compensation Program may only reimburse for certain crime-related expenses that are not covered by any other source such as medical insurance.
An application for victim compensation should be filed with OVS within two years of the date of the personal injury or death; however, a waiver is possible in certain circumstances. (Filing an application with OVS does not guarantee that you will receive a compensation award.)
The total amount awarded will be subject to a $100 deductible. A waiver is possible in certain circumstances.
Who May Apply for Compensation
- A victim of an eligible crime who received physical injury or death or was physically injured while assisting police during a crime
- A relative* or designated decision maker of a homicide victim
- A relative* of a sexual assault or child abuse victim
- A blind or disabled person whose guide or assistance dog was injured during a crime
Eligibility Requirements
- The crime was reported to the police within five days or in the case of a sexual assault, a sexual assault medical examination and evidence collection was completed within seventy-two hours of the assault.
- The victim’s behavior must not have contributed to the criminal incident.
- The victim must have suffered personal injury or death as a result of the incident.
- The personal injury victim must cooperate with police and other law enforcement agencies in their efforts to apprehend and prosecute the offender(s).
- There must be at least $100 of unreimbursed expenses for medical and/or dental treatment.
- Other sources of payment do not cover all eligible costs.
Crimes that are eligible
- Assault
- DUI
- Hit and run
- Murder
- Robbery with injury
- Sexual assault
Crime related expenses that may be compensated include:
- Medical and dental costs related to the crime.
- Medical costs for injuries incurred during the commission of a crime to the guide or assistance dog of a blind or disabled crime victim.
- Counseling for victims of personal injury, sexual assault, and child abuse.
- Counseling for relatives* of victims of sexual assault and child abuse.
- Counseling for relatives* and designated decision maker of a homicide victim.
- Lost wage reimbursement to victims of personal injury crimes, including overtime and self-employment income to cover salary loss due to absence(s) related to the crime. This does not include attendance at court proceedings.
- Lost wage reimbursement to attend court proceedings for relatives* and the designated decision maker of a homicide victim.
- Loss of support for dependents and the designated decision maker of a homicide victim.
- Funeral costs up to $5,000.
What expenses are not covered
- Property loss
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Attorney fees
- Any non-economic loss
How much can be paid
Up to $15,000 in reimbursement for expenses related to an eligible personal injury claim
Application for victim compensation - personal injury
Up to $25,000 in reimbursement for expenses related to an eligible homicide claim
Application for victim compensation - survivor benefits
For further information regarding the Compensation Program including the application process, please contact OVS Compensation staff at 888-286-7347 (in Connecticut only) or 860-263-2761.
Survivor Tribute Wall in need of photos of your loved ones. If you haven't already submitted a photo or are unsure if you have, please contact Jennifer to do so. We prefer a hard copy of the photo of any size and will also need your loved ones' name, date of birth and date of death/injuries. Please contact Jennifer at 203-764-2566 for more information.
