Cheshire Correctional Institution is a high-security state prison for men in the town of Cheshire, between New Haven and Waterbury. Most of the men inside are serving long sentences. A smaller number are still waiting for trial. Right next door is Manson Youth Institution, where the state holds boys and young men. For families, the big question is often: “What court is my loved one’s case in, and what happens next?” This page tries to answer that in plain words.
First, a quick fact that surprises people. Connecticut has no counties that run anything, so it has no county courts and no county jails. The state Department of Correction runs all the jails and prisons. One statewide trial court, the Superior Court, hears every criminal case. It is divided two ways. Judicial districts (JDs) handle the heaviest felonies in what is called “Part A.” Geographical areas (GAs) handle “Part B”: first appearances, misdemeanors, motor vehicle crimes and the lower felony classes. Cheshire belongs to the New Haven Judicial District. Courthouses that matter here include:
Free case search: Want to see if a case is still open or when the next court date is? The courts’ online case look-up answers both questions. Search by name or docket number for pending criminal and motor vehicle cases, or search past convictions. It costs nothing.
State or federal? Federal cases are heard by the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut. The closest one to Cheshire is the Richard C. Lee U.S. Courthouse, 141 Church Street, New Haven, clerk (203) 773-2140. It is only a few blocks from the state’s Part A court, which also sits on Church Street. Federal charges come from laws Congress wrote, and the U.S. Attorney prosecutes them. Think of drug rings hauling product up I-91 or I-95 from out of state, a convicted felon caught with a gun, or trouble at a federal site such as the Naval Submarine Base in Groton. Choose a section below.
Misdemeanors are the lower-level crimes. In Connecticut the longest jail term for one is 364 days, for a class A misdemeanor. A class B can bring six months, a class C three months, and a class D 30 days. Fines top out at $2,000.
Here is the usual path. A person arrested in Cheshire gets a bail amount from the police. If they can’t pay, a bail commissioner reviews it. Then comes the arraignment, the very first court hearing, which happens the next day court is open. It would take place at GA 7 in Meriden. Connecticut changed its rules in 2017, so most people charged only with a misdemeanor no longer sit in jail just because they can’t afford cash bail. A public defender, paid by the state, is in the courtroom for people who qualify. The Meriden office number is (203) 238-6135. A misdemeanor jury in Connecticut has just six members.
A charge from inside the walls: Fights, threats or contraband at Cheshire can lead to two separate things. The prison can punish a man under its own rules. The state’s attorney can also file a new criminal case. A new case from the prison would start at GA 7 in Meriden.
Teens: People under 18 don’t go to adult court for misdemeanors. Instead, the Superior Court for Juvenile Matters takes them, and the child’s home town decides which location. Kids from Cheshire go to the juvenile court in Waterbury. Lots of first-time cases are sent to a town Juvenile Review Board, which gives a teen a chance to make things right outside of court.
Connecticut ranks felonies from class A (the worst) down to class E. The ranges are: class B, 1 to 20 years; class C, 1 to 10 years; class D, up to 5 years; and class E, up to 3 years. Class C, D and E cases from Cheshire stay at GA 7 in Meriden. Class A cases and most class B cases are sent to the Part A court on Church Street in New Haven.
Plenty of men at Cheshire still have something to do in court after sentencing. These are the most common next steps:
Teens: Most felony charges against teens are handled by juvenile court too. If a judge orders the teen held, it is at a secure Judicial Branch center in Bridgeport or Hartford, not at an adult prison. For certain felonies, the state’s attorney may request a transfer to adult court. A judge agrees only if keeping it in juvenile court would not serve the teen or the public.
Cases like these land on Church Street, in the New Haven Part A court. Murder carries 25 to 60 years. Any other class A felony means 10 to 25 years. The most extreme murders, once called capital crimes, now bring life without the possibility of release. In 2012, lawmakers took the death penalty off the table for future crimes. Three years later, in State v. Santiago, the state Supreme Court threw it out for people already on death row.
Before a murder trial, a judge holds a probable cause hearing to decide if the evidence is strong enough. The jury has 12 people. People convicted of murder, felony murder and a few other crimes are not allowed parole, unless they committed the crime before turning 18.
Crimes against staff: Hurting a correction officer or other prison worker is its own crime under C.G.S. 53a-167c. It is a class C felony. If a man already in prison is sentenced for it, the new time is added on after his current sentence, not served at the same time.
Habeas corpus: If a man believes his trial lawyer failed him or his rights were violated, he can file a habeas case. It is a type of lawsuit that challenges why someone is locked up. The state hears prisoner habeas cases at the Tolland Judicial District courthouse in Rockville.
Teens: Teens aged 15 to 17 face an automatic move to adult court when the charge is murder, some other class A felony, or most of the class B list. Some class B cases can be sent back down. Boys and young men convicted as adults are usually held at Manson Youth Institution, right beside this prison in Cheshire.
This guide gives an overview of how Connecticut handles criminal cases. It is not legal advice. To talk about a specific case, contact a private lawyer or the Meriden public defender office at (203) 238-6135.
