Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 961a - Criminal Records
Section 54-142g. - *(See end of section for amended version of subsection (b) and effective date.) Definitions.

For purposes of this part and sections 29-11 and 54-142c, the following definitions shall apply:

(a) “Criminal history record information” means court records and information compiled by criminal justice agencies for purposes of identifying criminal offenders and of maintaining as to each such offender notations of arrests, releases, detentions, indictments, informations, or other formal criminal charges or any events and outcomes arising from those arrests, releases, detentions, including pleas, trials, sentences, appeals, incarcerations, correctional supervision, paroles and releases; but does not include intelligence, presentence investigation, investigative information or any information which may be disclosed pursuant to subsection (f) of section 54-63d.
*(b) “Criminal justice agency” means any court with criminal jurisdiction, the Department of Motor Vehicles or any other governmental agency created by statute which is authorized by law and engages, in fact, as its principal function in activities constituting the administration of criminal justice, including, but not limited to, organized municipal police departments, the Division of State Police, the Department of Correction, the Court Support Services Division, the Office of Policy and Management, the state's attorneys, assistant state's attorneys and deputy assistant state's attorneys, the Board of Pardons and Paroles, the Chief Medical Examiner and the Office of the Victim Advocate. “Criminal justice agency” includes any component of a public, noncriminal justice agency if such component is created by statute and is authorized by law and, in fact, engages in activities constituting the administration of criminal justice as its principal function.
(c) “Conviction information” means criminal history record information which has not been erased, as provided in section 54-142a, and which discloses that a person has pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to, or was convicted of, any criminal offense, and the terms of the sentence.
(d) “Current offender information” means information on the current status and location of all persons who (1) are arrested or summoned to appear in court; (2) are being prosecuted for any criminal offense in Superior Court; (3) have an appeal pending from any criminal conviction; (4) are detained or incarcerated in any correctional facility in this state; or (5) are subject to the jurisdiction or supervision of any probation, parole or correctional agency in this state, including persons transferred to other states for incarceration or supervision.
(e) “Nonconviction information” means (1) criminal history record information that has been “erased” pursuant to section 54-142a; (2) information relating to persons granted youthful offender status; (3) continuances which are more than thirteen months old. Nonconviction information does not mean conviction information or current offender information.
(f) “Disclosure” means the communication of information to any person by any means.
(g) “Dismissal” means (1) prosecution of the charge against the accused was declined pursuant to rules of court or statute; or (2) the judicial authority granted a motion to dismiss pursuant to rules of court or statute; or (3) the judicial authority found that prosecution is no longer possible due to the limitations imposed by section 54-193.
(P.A. 78-200, S. 1; 78-303, S. 85, 136; P.A. 79-398; P.A. 80-190, S. 13; 80-193; P.A. 81-437, S. 5, 12; 81-472, S. 96, 159; P.A. 82-346, S. 4, 7; 82-472, S. 170, 183; P.A. 83-587, S. 80, 96; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 98-1, S. 75, 121; P.A. 99-186, S. 12; P.A. 00-20, S. 1, 4; P.A. 02-132, S. 49; P.A. 04-234, S. 2.)
*Note: On and after January 1, 2023, subsection (b) of this section, as amended by section 33 of public act 21-32, is to read as follows:
“(b) “Criminal justice agency” means any court with criminal jurisdiction, the Department of Motor Vehicles or any other governmental agency created by statute which is authorized by law and engages, in fact, as its principal function in activities constituting the administration of criminal justice, including, but not limited to, organized municipal police departments, the Division of Criminal Justice, the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, including the Division of State Police, the Department of Correction, the Court Support Services Division, the Office of Policy and Management, the state's attorneys, assistant state's attorneys and deputy assistant state's attorneys, the Board of Pardons and Paroles, the Chief Medical Examiner and the Office of the Victim Advocate. “Criminal justice agency” includes any component of a public, noncriminal justice agency if such component is created by statute and is authorized by law and, in fact, engages in activities constituting the administration of criminal justice as its principal function.”
(P.A. 78-200, S. 1; 78-303, S. 85, 136; P.A. 79-398; P.A. 80-190, S. 13; 80-193; P.A. 81-437, S. 5, 12; 81-472, S. 96, 159; P.A. 82-346, S. 4, 7; 82-472, S. 170, 183; P.A. 83-587, S. 80, 96; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 98-1, S. 75, 121; P.A. 99-186, S. 12; P.A. 00-20, S. 1, 4; P.A. 02-132, S. 49; P.A. 04-234, S. 2; P.A. 21-32, S. 33.)
History: P.A. 78-303 allowed substitution of division of state police for state police department in Subdiv. (b) reflecting department's incorporation as division within the department of public safety pursuant to P.A. 77-614; P.A. 79-398 redefined “nonconviction information” to exclude nolles that have not been erased and information with a substitute information which were previously expressly included; P.A. 80-190 deleted coroners from definition of “criminal justice agency”; P.A. 80-193 included court records as “criminal history record information”; P.A. 81-437 amended Subsec. (a) to include any information which may be disclosed pursuant to Subsec. (d) of Sec. 54-63d; P.A. 81-472 made technical corrections; P.A. 82-346 deleted the Connecticut justice commission from the definition of “criminal justice agency”; P.A. 82-472 changed effective date of P.A. 82-346 from July 1, 1982, to January 1, 1983; P.A. 83-587 included the office of policy and management within the definition of “criminal justice agency”; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 98-1 made technical changes in Subsec. (b), effective June 24, 1998; P.A. 99-186 amended Subsec. (a) to make a technical change in a statutory reference; P.A. 00-20 amended Subsec. (b) to include the Office of the Victim Advocate within the definition of “criminal justice agency”, effective April 25, 2000; P.A. 02-132 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing “Office of Adult Probation” with “the Court Support Services Division”, deleting “bail commissioners” and making technical changes; P.A. 04-234 replaced Board of Pardons and Board of Parole with Board of Pardons and Paroles, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 21-32 redefined “criminal justice agency” in Subsec. (b), effective January 1, 2023.

Structure Connecticut General Statutes