Legal Affairs

24 Wolcott Hill Road
Wethersfield, CT 06109
Phone: (860) 692-7575
Fax: (860) 692-6284
Directions.
Director: Nicole J. Anker
Assistant Director - Tracie Brown
Attorney - Nancy B. Canney
Attorney - Jennifer Lepore
Attorney - Nancy K. O'Brasky
Paralegal - Dawn DiCesare
Paralegal - Anita Hamzy
Administrative Assistant - Patricia Davis

This Unit is a direct report to the Commissioner of the Department and serves as a liaison to the Office of the Attorney General on all legal matters affecting the agency as well as with the State and Federal Courts throughout Connecticut. During the course of an average year the Office oversees several hundred lawsuits as well as more than 100 Probate Court cases involving inmates. The Office daily interacts with attorneys and representatives from other state agencies such as the Office of Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities, the Office of the Victim Advocate and the Commissioner on Human Rights and Opportunities.

On a regular basis, the staff of this Unit provides legal guidance to Department personnel on matters ranging from human resources issues, to agency compliance with various state statutes such as Freedom of Information requirements, to constitutional questions involving the offender conditions of confinement.

Through this Unit the Department also maintains a contractual relationship with an outside law firm to provide the inmate population with access to the court system and legal assistance  regarding civil matters.