Connecticut Senate Bill SB00787

Connecticut 2011 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/25/11
• Refer: 1/25/11

Caption

An Act Concerning Inmate Freedom Of Information Requests.

Impact

The proposed change aims to alleviate the burden on public agencies by reducing the volume of Freedom of Information requests made by inmates. By requiring a preliminary screening, the bill seeks to limit those requests deemed unreasonable, which may help improve administrative efficiency and lower associated costs for agencies tasked with responding to such requests. If passed into law, it may impact the accessibility of information for inmates, potentially limiting their ability to obtain records that may be relevant to their cases or conditions of confinement.

Summary

SB00787, titled 'An Act Concerning Inmate Freedom Of Information Requests', seeks to amend existing statutes regarding how inmates can request public records. The intent of this bill is to create a more controlled process for these requests by introducing a preliminary review system conducted by a designated judge trial referee. This initial review is intended to assess the reasonableness of each request before inmates can submit them to public agencies for processing.

Contention

There may be notable points of contention surrounding SB00787, particularly regarding the balance between inmates' rights to access information and the administrative burden on public agencies. Proponents of the legislation argue that this will streamline the process and detract from frivolous or excessive requests, while critics might raise concerns about access to justice and transparency for inmates. The implications for how such requests are judged—specifically determining what constitutes a 'reasonable' request—could lead to legal debates and interpretations that may vary across jurisdictions.