Board of Pardons and Paroles processes COEs, grants multiple expedited pardons and refers numerous cases for hearings

The Connecticut Board of Pardons and Paroles met remotely on Aug. 10, 2026 to consider three dockets: certificates of employability (COE), expedited absolute pardons that require no victim outreach, and prescreen cases that require outreach and full hearings.

Chair Jennifer Medina Zaccagnini opened the session by explaining the Board's authority and timelines, saying, "If you are granted an absolute pardon today, it may take up to 10 weeks from the date of this hearing to erase your criminal history securely and safely from public record." The board proceeded through the COE docket first, then the expedited pardon docket and finished by referring many prescreen matters for hearings where victim input or additional fact-finding is required.

Why it matters: The decisions affect applicants' employment, licensing and immigration prospects. Several COEs were granted with job-specific conditions; in the expedited docket the board granted multiple absolute pardons that will, when processed, remove convictions from public record. Several applicants were referred for full hearings or denied because board members cited unresolved safety, minimization or disclosure concerns.