State lawmakers overwhelmingly approved a criminal justice overhaul...

State lawmakers overwhelmingly approved a criminal justice overhaul package early today that creates a new crime of "home invasion," toughens penalties for burglars and repeat violent offenders, establishes professional parole board members, and limits inmate furloughs.
The legislation was approved unanimously in the Senate and 126-12 in the House of Representatives and is expected to be signed by Gov. M. Jodi Rell.
The House debated unsuccessfully also an amendment to repeal the death penalty.
Republicans in both the House and the Senate tried unsuccessfully to get majority Democrats to support a controversial three strikes measure that would have mandated life imprisonment for those convicted three times of the most violent crimes, such as rape, arson, or robbery. It would have allowed offenders to be considered for parole by a three-judge panel, but only after 30 years had been served.
Rep. William R. Dyson, D-New Haven, tried to draw attention to questions of racial bias by offering an amendment to repeal the most severe penalty in Connecticut's criminal justice system: capital punishment. It failed by a vote of 89-49.