Conn. Gen. Stat. § 17a-594 (2026)

(a) If at any time while an acquittee is under the jurisdiction of the board, it appears to the board or its chairman that a conditionally released acquittee has violated the terms of a conditional release or that the mental health of the acquittee has changed, the board or its chairman may order the modification of the conditional release of the acquittee or may order the termination of the conditional release of the acquittee and his return to a hospital for psychiatric disabilities or to the Commissioner of Developmental Services for examination or treatment. The state's attorney may, at any time, notify the board or its chairman of facts that the state's attorney believes indicate that the conditionally released acquittee has violated the terms of a conditional release, that the mental health of the acquittee has changed or that the conditions of release should be modified. A written order of the board, or its chairman on behalf of the board, is sufficient warrant for any peace officer to take the acquittee into custody and transport him to a hospital for psychiatric disabilities or to the Commissioner of Developmental Services.

(b) Any peace officer or any person or agency providing treatment or responsible for the supervision of a conditionally released acquittee may take the acquittee into custody or request that the acquittee be taken into custody if there is reasonable cause to believe that the acquittee is a person with psychiatric disabilities or a person with intellectual disability to the extent that his continued release would constitute a danger to himself or others and that the acquittee is in need of immediate care, custody or treatment. The acquittee shall be immediately transported to a hospital for psychiatric disabilities or to the Commissioner of Developmental Services.

(c) Within thirty days of the acquittee being taken into custody pursuant to subsection (a) or (b) of this section, the board shall commence a hearing to determine the mental condition of the acquittee and shall make a finding and act pursuant to section 17a-584.

(P.A. 85-506, S. 15, 32; P.A. 87-486, S. 10; P.A. 95-257, S. 48, 58; P.A. 07-73, S. 2(b); P.A. 11-129, S. 20.)

History: P.A. 87-486 amended Subsec. (a) to authorize the board or its chairman to order an acquittee's return to the commissioner of mental retardation and a peace officer to transport an acquittee to said commissioner, amended Subsec. (b) to add reference to an acquittee who is mentally retarded and authorize the immediate transportation of an acquittee to the commissioner of mental retardation, and amended Subsec. (c) to increase from 20 to 30 days the period within which a hearing must be commenced; Sec. 17-257o transferred to Sec. 17a-594 in 1991; P.A. 95-257 replaced “mentally ill” and “mental illness” with varying phrases containing the words “psychiatric disabilities”, effective July 1, 1995; pursuant to P.A. 07-73 “Commissioner of Mental Retardation” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioner of Developmental Services”, effective October 1, 2007; pursuant to P.A. 11-129, “mentally retarded” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “a person with intellectual disability” in Subsec. (b).

Annotation to former section 17-257o:

Cited. 215 C. 675.

(Return to Chapter Table of Contents)

(Return to List of Chapters)

(Return to List of Titles)