State Victim Advocate Michelle Cruz announced Tuesday she is appealing once again to the Governor’s Office and the Commissioner of the Department of Correction to immediately suspend the risk reduction earned credit program.
"The Office of the Victim Advocate has learned that the defendant arrested for the tragic murder of Luthfur Tarafdar in East Hartford had a lengthy criminal history of violence, unsuccessful probation terms and has been identified by the Department of Correction as an inmate that was released early as a result of the risk reduction earned credit program," stated Cruz, in an announcement.

Read the announcement here. 
Read the Department of Corrections description of the program here. 
Read some of the Register's coverage of the program here.
What do you think of the program? Share your thoughts in the comment section!   

Connecticut's chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, or MADD,  will host "MADD About Dancing" on Friday, Sept. 28 at The Cabaret Theatre at the Mohegan Sun Casino.

Guests can enjoy hors d'oeuvres, celebrity dancing and a special performance by country artist Casey James.

The doors open with a reception at 7 p.m., and the event begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $50 each and are on sale now at ticketmaster.com or the Mohegan Sun Box Office. Proceeds will benefit MADD.
 

Another event, Walk Like MADD Branford, is scheduled for Sat., Oct. 13 at Branford Town Hall, 1019 Main St., Branford. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. Visit www.walklikemadd.org to register.

Tori Bell, whose uncle William Smolinski Jr. is missing, releases butterflies at the Night of Hope for Missing Loved Ones of Connecticut held Sunday evening on the Naugatuck Green. An American Indian tradition says that butterflies silently carry wishes./ Photo by Melanie Stengel, New Haven Register

From a press release from the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence: 

HARTFORD - A vast majority of Connecticut domestic violence victims reaching out for help thus far this year through the National Domestic Violence Hotline are reporting emotional, verbal and physical violence.

Nearly a quarter of callers are asking for assistance to obtain an order of protection or advocacy in court. Connecticut is ranked 31st in terms of hotline call volume with the majority of calls coming from the Hartford area.   

According to a recent six month data report issued by The National Domestic Violence Hotline, 97% of victims who call indicate their abuser engages in emotional/verbal manipulation through degradation, threats, insults, humiliation and isolation.

The report shows that 71% of victims calling - 515 in the past six months - reveal that their partner has physically harmed them through hitting, biting or choking. According to the Connecticut Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee, the state averages 16 domestic violence homicides annually.  

Karen Jarmoc, Executive Director of the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence ("CCADV") notes that these findings are consistent with statewide trends. As the leading voice for victims of domestic violence and those who serve them, CCADV maintains that battering is a serious problem in Connecticut. "More than 54,000 victims are served annually by our statewide organization and its member agencies, with nearly 22,000 calls being made each year to Connecticut's statewide hotline for help," said Jarmoc. 

The 2012 Connecticut Domestic Violence Fatality Review Report maintains that the risk of violence increases substantially during the time that a victim is leaving a relationship.

CCADV and many of its member agencies will take steps to address lethality and safety next month when they partner with law enforcement to implement risk assessment and intervention strategies at the scene of a domestic violence incident. Connecticut officials will participate in a model lethality assessment program, which has been proven to significantly decrease domestic violence homicide. 

"This most recent report from one of our national partners provides our statewide organization with important data to support our determinations which call for increased awareness and intervention at critical points for victims," said Jarmoc. "We continually aim to do better by reaching victims and providing safety before the violence starts and escalates."

       

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If you or someone you know needs support, call the statewide free and confidential hotline at 888-774-2900. 

Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence (CCADV) 90 Pitkin Street East Hartford, CT 06108 (860) 282-7899 www.ctcadv.org

The Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime has awarded the state of Connecticut more than $5.64 million from the Crime Victims Fund for the state victim assistance and compensation programs.
“Victims of crime must never be ignored or forgotten,” said David Fein, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, in a press release Monday. “While it is difficult to make victims whole again, it is gratifying that the hard work of this U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Department of Justice and the federal courts has resulted in the distribution of this substantial amount of money to assist the healing of Connecticut’s victims.”
Federal criminal fines, penalty assessments, and bond forfeitures that are collected by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and U.S. Federal Courts are deposited into the Crime Victims Fund.
All states and territories then receive annual grants aimed at helping victims.  For more information, visit the Office for Victims of Crime's web site at www.ovc.gov.
The Connecticut Judicial Branch's Office of Victim Services administers the state's crime victim assistance and compensation programs. 
The victim assistance program uses the funds to provide services to federal and state victims of crime, including rape, drunk driving, child abuse, and domestic violence. The victim compensation program reimburses victims for costs such as medical services, lost wages, mental health counseling and funeral expenses that are incurred as a result of a crime.  More information on Connecticut’s Office of Victim Services can be found at www.jud.state.ct.us/crimevictim.
The award to Connecticut this fiscal year is $4,498,821 for victim assistance, and $1,144,000 for victim compensation. 
 
- From an Aug. 13 press release from the U.S. Attorney's office in Connecticut

By Opinion Staff

For a second time this year, New Haven police have ignored a state law requiring that they “accept without delay any report of a missing adult.” In one case, the failure to act may have indirectly led to the death of William Young, 27.
Last seen on Jan. 5, his body was found Feb. 11 in the Mill River. When family members attempted to report him missing, they were told they had to wait 72 hours. A missing person report was not accepted until three days after Young was last seen alive.
After Young’s body was found, police Lt. Julie Johnson said there was no policy of delay in accepting a report of a missing person “because time is of the essence in missing person cases.”

Read the full editorial here.

By Rich Scinto

Register Staff

MILFORD — Steps were taken Thursday to set up a restitution fund for girls sexually abused by Milford resident Jesse Osmun, 32, while he served in the Peace Corps in South Africa.
Osmun’s family provided $10,000 of seed money for the restitution fund at a hearing Thursday at U.S. District Court in Hartford. Restitution was discussed as part of a plea agreement, said Osmun’s attorney, Richard Meehan Jr. The seed money is a small step toward restitution and healing for the children, he said.

Read more here.

Take a motorcycle ride and help benefit the organization, Survivors of Homicide Inc.
The Charity Motorcycle Run starts at noon on Sunday, Sept. 23.
The cost is $15 for a single rider, and $20 for doubles. All proceeds will benefit Survivors of Homicide, an organization which helps individuals who have suffered through the murder of a relative or close friend.
The ride starts at Roxy's Cafe, (former Joe Bomber's Cafe) at 24A Greenwoods Road, Torrington. There will be a stop at the Crown & Hammer, and then the ride culminates at Bleachers Bar & Grill in Bristol. Participants can enjoy music, food and raffles at the end of the ride. It is $15 for anyone who wants to have the buffet only.

Tickets can be purchased at Roxy's and at Bleachers, 300 Middle St., Bristol. Or, you can also buy tickets by calling Rose at 203-756-4733 or visiting the web site,  www.survivorsofhomicide.com.

William Smolinski Jr. of Waterbury. Thomas Drew of Salisbury. Lisa Calvo of New Haven.

There are just a few of the names of missing Connecticut residents, people whose disappearances have left their families and friends in mourning, wondering what became of them.

The annual vigil for the missing is coming up this month, on Sunday, Aug. 26 on the Naugatuck Green, which is off of Church Street. The event will be from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Smolinski's mother, Janice Smolinski of Cheshire, said it will be a "Night of Hope," with families coming to speak about their loved ones.

The public is invited to attend. There will be a butterfly release this year.

When you have been victimized, you have a right to know about the case involving the person who victimized you.

Find out if an offender applies for a pardon or parole. Find out if a prisoner escapes or is on their way to a halfway house, for example.

The New Haven Register recently did a story on pardons, and the state's difficulties in tracking down victims when convicted offenders apply for pardons years later. Read the story here.  

Fill out the form, “Confidential Request for Notification of Status of Inmate,” and get registered. The form is here.

File a missing persons report with law enforcement. Be sure to share key information including a photograph of the person, circumstances of the disappearance, identifying characteristics such as height and weight, what the person was wearing, and the person’s cell phone information.

There is no waiting period to file a missing person report, even if the missing person is an adult. 

According to the state Office of the Victim Advocate, it is “essential to a successful recovery of a missing person that evidence, DNA, videos (from stores, parking lots, etc..) are captured in the first 24 hours after a person has gone missing.”

Family and friends know an individual’s habits and behavior. If you believe something is wrong, contact authorities to file a missing person report.

Be sure to get the contact information for the officer who speaks with you. Follow up with that person to find out what is going on with the investigation.

Enter the missing person on the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, or NamUs, at www.namus.gov.

Spread the word and gain support from others in the same situation by visiting and posting on the Facebook site, MissinginCT. 

For additional advice or help, contact the state Office of the Victim Advocate at 860-550-6632.