Legal Question in Criminal Law in Connecticut

Prison inmates working with the public

I'm writing a novel based on a factory I've worked at for 7 years. At one time there was an abundance of inmates from the prison up the road, as my company participated in the prison work release program.

Where can I find out more about this kind of program?

What is the worst that can happen in a situation like this, and could an employee sue the company in the event of sexual harrassment, rape, or other crime which has resulted in the conivict's exposure to society?


Asked on 4/05/03, 8:31 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Gregory Cantwell Law Office of Jefferson D. Jelly

Re: Prison inmates working with the public

You can find out about Department of Correction programs, like work release from the Department of Correction itself. Statutes and regulations regarding these programs exist and you can find them in a law library.

A victim of a criminal act, under any circumstances, has a statutory right to certain information/communication from the state's attorney who may be prosecuting a case. Victims can also seek to recover "restitution" from the criminal, although many criminals have no ability to pay restitution.

On the civil side, suits by an employee against an employer are generally prohibited by the our Workers Compensation laws. There are some limited exceptions to this, including intentional type acts by the employer to harm an employee. The limited facts you give, suggest a possible claim against the state and/or dept. of corrections. Those types of claims are also a little different in some important respects from normal personal injury claims. Note that there are different statute of limitations for criminal and civil cases that might affect the type of claims you speak about.

Good Luck with your book.

Greg Cantwell

(860)738-2929

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Answered on 4/07/03, 11:03 am


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