From Black's Law Dictionary (7th Ed.):

Habeas Corpus - (Latin: that you have the body) - A writ employed to bring a person before a court, most frequently to ensure that the party's imprisonment or detention is not illegal. In addition to being used to test the legality of an arrest or commitment, the writ may be used to obtain review of (1) the regularity of extradition process, (2) the right to or amount of bail, or (3) the jurisdiction of a court that has imposed a criminal sentence.

Postconviction-relief proceeding - A state or federal procedure for a prisoner to request a court to vacate or correct a conviction or sentence.

CONNECTICUT STATUTES AND FORMS

CONNECTICUT GENERAL STATUTES ANNOTATED (KFC 3630 1958 .A43 - Reading Room)
CONNECTICUT GENERAL STATUTES (CT General Assembly)

• C.G.S.A. §52-466 Application for writ of habeas corpus. Service. Return.
• C.G.S.A. §52-467 Punishment for refusal to obey writ or accept copy
• C.G.S.A. §52-468 Commitment for contempt; application for discharge
• C.G.S.A. §52-469 Repealed
• C.G.S.A. §52-470 Summary disposal of the case. Appeal by person convicted of crime
• C.G.S.A. §51-186 Hearing at the Connecticut Correctional Institution, Somers

CONNECTICUT PRACTICE BOOK ANNOTATED (KFC 3680 .C65 1998 - Reading Room)
CONNECTICUT PRACTICE BOOK (State of CT Judicial Branch)

• 1A §23-22 The petition
• 1A §23-23 Return of noncomplying petition
• 1A §23-24 Preliminary consideration of judicial authority
• 1A §23-25 Waiver of filing fees and costs of service
• 1A §23-26 Appointment of counsel
• 1A §23-27 Venue for habeas corpus
• 1A §23-28 Transfer of habeas corpus
• 1A §23-29 Dismissal
• 1A §23-30 The return
• 1A §23-31 Reply to the return
• 1A §23-32 Amendments
• 1A §23-33 Request for a more specific statement
• 1A §23-34 Summary procedures for habeas corpus petitions
• 1A §23-35 Schedule for filing pleadings
• 1A §23-36 The expanded record
• 1A §23-37 Summary judgment in habeas corpus
• 1A §23-38 Discovery in habeas corpus
• 1A §23-39 Depositions in habeas corpus
• 1A §23-40 Court appearance in habeas corpus
• 1A §23-41 Motion for leave to withdraw appearance of appointed counsel
• 1A §23-42 Judicial action on motion for permission to withdraw appearance

CONNECTICUT PRACTICE SERIES - Civil Practice Forms (KFC 3680 .C65 - Reading Room)

• 3 Form 604.22 Habeas corpus by prisoner
• 3 Form 604.22-A Statement describing transcript ordered
• 3 Form 604.22-B Notice of transcript receipt
• 3 Form 604.22-C Amended petition
• 3 Form 604.22-D Motion for leave of court to amend petition
• 3 Form 604.22-E Notice that petition will be be amended
• 3 Form 604.23 Habeas corpus by friend

CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS MATERIALS (LSO Library)

• Connecticut Department of Corrections (current). Administrative Directives (3 volumes)
  (Administrative Directives also available on D.O.C. website)
• Connecticut Department of Corrections (1999). Objective Classification Manual
  (Also see Administrative Directive Chapter 9: Classification)
• Connecticut Prisoner Information (collection of 1990s literature)

FEDERAL STATUTES AND FORMS

UNITED STATES CODE (KF62 - Reading Room; GPO Access)
UNITED STATES CODE ANNOTATED (KF62.5 .W45 - Reading Room; Westlaw)
UNITED STATES CODE SERVICE (KF62.5 .L38 - Reading Room; Lexis)

• 28 U.S.C. §1446 Procedure for removal (from state to federal court)
• 28 U.S.C. §2241 Power to grant writ
• 28 U.S.C. §2242 Application
• 28 U.S.C. §2243 Issuance of writ; return; hearing; decision
• 28 U.S.C. §2244 Finality of determination
• 28 U.S.C. §2245 Certificate of trial judge admissible in evidence
• 28 U.S.C. §2246 Evidence; depositions; affidavits
• 28 U.S.C. §2247 Documentary evidence
• 28 U.S.C. §2248 Return or answer; conclusiveness
• 28 U.S.C. §2249 Certified copies of indictment, plea and judgment; duty of respondent
• 28 U.S.C. §2250 Indigent petitioner entitled to documents without cost
• 28 U.S.C. §2251 Stay of state court proceedings
• 28 U.S.C. §2252 Notice
• 28 U.S.C. §2253 Appeal
• 28 U.S.C. §2254 State custody, remedies in federal court
• 28 U.S.C. §2255 Federal custody; remedies on motion attacking sentence

RULES GOVERNING §2255 PROCEEDINGS and APPENDIX OF FORMS
(the Rules and Appendix immediately follow 28 U.S.C. §2255)

• Rule 1. Scope of rules
• Rule 2. Motion
• Rule 3. Filing motion
• Rule 4. Preliminary consideration by judge
• Rule 5. Answers; contents
• Rule 6. Discovery
• Rule 7. Expansion of record
• Rule 8. Evidentiary hearing
• Rule 9. Delayed or successive motions
• Rule 10. Powers of magistrates
• Rule 11. Time for appeal
• Rule 12. Federal rules of criminal and civil procedure; extent of applicability
• Model form for §2255 motion

FEDERAL RULES OF APPELLATE PROCEDURE (28 U.S.C. - Rules)

• Title VI. Habeas corpus; proceedings in forma pauperis
  • F.R.A.P. 22. Habeas corpus and section 2255 proceedings
  • F.R.A.P. 23. Custody or release of a prisoner in a habeas corpus proceeding
  • F.R.A.P. 24. Proceeding in forma pauperis

• Title VII. General Provisions
  • F.R.A.P. 25. Filing and service
  • F.R.A.P. 28. Briefs
  • F.R.A.P. 29. Brief of amicus curiae
  • F.R.A.P. 47. Local rules by courts of appeals

FEDERAL PRACTICE MATERIALS

• Boston, John (2004). The Prison Litigation Reform Act - LSO
• Reams, Bernard D. and Manz, William H. (1997). A Legislative History of the Prison Litigation Reform Act of 1996 Pub. L. no. 104-134, 110 Stat. 1321 - KF9731 .A32 A15 - L4

• U.S. Sentencing Commission (2006). Federal Sentencing Guidelines Manual - KF9685.A875 - L4 and LSO
• Moore, James W. (1997 with 2007 updates). Moore's Federal Practice (3rd ed.) (Vol. 20A, Ch. 322: Habeas corpus and section 2255 proceedings) - KF8820 .A313 M632 - L4
• Bender, Matthew (1951 with 2007 updates). Federal Practice Forms. Annotations and Cross-references to Moore's Federal Practice, 2nd ed., by Louis R. Frumer (Vol. 17: Postconviction) - KF8836 .M38 - L4
• West (2007 updates). West's Federal Forms - KF8836 .W4 - L4
• Lawyer's Coop (1975 with 2007 updates). Federal Procedural Forms (Vol. 10B: Habeas corpus) - KF8836 .F4 - L4

TREATISES, LEGAL ENCYCLOPEDIAS, AND OTHER RESOURCES AT YALE LAW LIBRARY

TREATISES

• Hertz, Randy and Liebman, James S. (2001 with 2006 supplement). Federal Habeas Corpus Practice and Procedure - KF9011 .L54 - L4 and Permanent Reserve (behind the Circulation Desk on L3)
• Church, William S. (2003). A Treatise on the Writ of Habeas Corpus - KF 9011 .C47 - L4
• Hurd, Rollin C. (2003). A Treatise on the Right of Personal Liberty, and on the Writ of Habeas Corpus - KF9011 .H8 - L4
• Stern, Peter, Dignam, Brett, Tegeler, Philip, and Bass, Eric (1997). Connecticut Prisoners' Rights (A publication of the Connecticut Civil Liberties Union Foundation and the Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization at Yale Law School) - KFC4188.5 .S74 - Reading Room, LES, and LSO

LEGAL ENCYCLOPEDIAS

• 39 and 39A C.J.S. Habeas Corpus (state and federal law) - KF154 .C56 - Reading Room
• 39 Am.Jur.2d Habeas Corpus (state and federal law) - KF154 .A42 - Reading Room
  
• AMERICAN LAW REPORTS (state law) (KF132.6 .A544 - Reading Room)
• AMERICAN LAW REPORTS FEDERAL (KF132 .A472 - Reading Room)
  
  • RESEARCH HINT: Find the terms "Habeas Corpus", "Postconviction Proceedings and Remedies" and "Prisons and Prisoners" (includes the subsection "civil rights") in the Quick Index for ALR, ALR 2nd, and ALR 3rd - 6th and ALR Federal and Fed 2d. Each of these major terms is broken down into many subsections. The subsections will give a citation to one of the ALR volumes where you will find an annotated discussion of the topic. Each annotated discussion is preceded by a fully reported case illustrating the point under consideration, including a summary of a decision, headnotes classified to the ALR digest, and epitomized briefs of counsel.

BOOKS & OTHER RESOURCES

• Schwartz, Martin (2003 with 2006 supplement). Section 1983 Litigation - KF1325 .C58 S3612 - L4
• Collins, Michael G. (2006). Section 1983 Litigation in a Nutshell - KF1325 .C58 C65 -
• Ross, Mary Massaron and Voss, Edwin (2006). Sword and Shield: A Practical Approach to Section 1983 Litigation - KF1325.C58 S96 - L4
• Nahmod, Sheldon H. (2004). Constitutional Torts - KF1306 .C64 N34 - L4
• Nahmod, Sheldon H. (1993). A Section 1983 Civil Rights Anthology - KF1325 .C58 S388 - L4
• Nahmod, Sheldon H. (1991). Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Litigation: The Law of Section 1983 - KF1325 .C58 N34 - L4
  
• Mushlin, Michael B. (2002 with 2006 supplement; 3 volumes). Rights of Prisoners - KF9731 .G6 - L4 and LSO
• Reese, Renford (2006). Prison Race - HV9950 .R434X - New Books Display
• Branham, Lynn S. (2005). The Law and Policy of Sentencing and Corrections in a Nutshell - KF9728 .Z9 .B73
• Branham, Lynn S. and Hamden, Michael S. (2005). Cases and Materials on the Law of Sentencing, Corrections, and Prisoners' Rights (7th ed.) - KF9728.A7 K7 - L4
• Toone, Robert E. (2002). Protecting Your Health and Safety: Prisoners Rights
• Anderson, James F. and Dyson, Laronistine (2001). Legal Rights of Prisoners: Cases and Comments - KF9731 .A7 A53 - L4
• Rafter, Nicole H. (1999). Prisons in America: A Reference Handbook - HV9471 .R36 - UES
• Manville, Daniel and Boston, John (1983). Prisoners' Self-help Litigation Manual - KF9731 .M36 - L4
  
• Wilkes, Jr., Donald E. (1996 with 2007 supplement). Federal Postconviction Remedies and Relief: With Forms - KF9690 W542 - L4
• Coyne, Randall and Entzeroth, Lyon (2006). Capital Punishment and the Judicial Process - KF9725 .C69 - L4
• Edelman, Bryan C. (2006). Racial Prejudice, Juror Empathy, and Sentencing in Death Penalty Cases - KF9685 .E32 - L4
• Lyon, Andrea, Hughes, Emily, and Prosser, Mary (2005). Federal Habeas Corpus: Cases and Materials - KF9011 .L96 - L4
• Wilkes, Jr., Donald E. (1996). State Postconviction Remedies and Relief: With Forms - KF9690 .Z95 W55 - L4
• Hanson, Roger A. and Daley, Henry W.K. (1995). Federal Habeas Corpus Review: Challenging State Court Criminal Convictions - KF9011 .H36 - L4
• Flango, Victor E. (1994). Habeas Corpus in State and Federal Courts - KF9011 .F53 - L4

INTERNET RESOURCES

CONNECTICUT

• LSO's Amicus Brief in Woodford v. Ngo (includes a chart summarizing prison grievance policies from jurisdictions nationwide)
  
• Federal Public Defender for the District of Connecticut
• Local Rules of Practice in Connecticut Federal District Court
• Connecticut Public Defender's Habeas Corpus Unit
• A Public Defender - Habeas discussion - Connecticut Legal News - blog
  
• Connecticut General Assembly - Legislative history for habeas corpus
  
• Connecticut Department of Corrections
  • Administrative Directives
  • Exhaustion: Administrative Directive 9.6 (English and Spanish) - Inmate Grievances
  • Inmate Search
    
• State of Connecticut Judicial Branch Resources:
  • Civil Case Look-up - short calendars, assignment lists, case detail, and party name inquiries
  • Supreme/Appellate Court Docket
  • Calendar Notices
  • Connecticut Forms

NATIONAL

• NACDL - National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
  • NAACDL's Guide to the Streamlined Procedures Act of 2005
  • NACDL's Publication: The Champion - also available on Westlaw
  • The Champion's excellent Primer on Habeas Corpus (June 2005)
  • NACDL's Amicus brief in Abdur'Rhaman v. Warden dealing with the exhaustion of state remedies
  • NACDL's sample motion dealing with exhaustion of administrative remedies
    
• Capital Defense Weekly
  • CDW's brief bank
  • CDW's list of resources
    
• Captial Defense Network - contains habeas updates, briefs, case summaries, and more
  
• Human Rights Watch:
  • Prisons - reports, news, etc.
  • No Escape: Male Rape in U.S. Prisons
    
• Federal Public Defender for the District of Arizona - Capital Habeas Unit
• ACLU National Prison Project: Prisoners' Rights
• Amnesty International's report on Women's Human Rights in U.S. prisons
• Prison Activist Resource Center
• LLRX's Prisoner's Rights and Resources on the Web - research guide
• FindLaw's Federal Habeas Corpus Review (1999) - a bit outdated but a nice overview
• Cornell's Legal Information Institute (U.S. Code, Federal Rules, USSC cases, and more)
• US. Dept. of Justice's Protocol for Effective Handling of Collateral Attacks on Convictions Brought Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §2241
• Official website of the Supreme Court of the United States
• Government Printing Office - GPO Access (U.S. Code, C.F.R., Fed. Reg., other free government information)
• Home page of the Federal Judiciary

BLOGS

• A Public Defender - by a Connecticut public defender
• Crime and Consequences - by the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation - Habeas discussion
• Decision of the Day - a daily summary of the best (and worst) of federal appellate decisions
• Habeas Corpus Review - news and commentary on the "Great Writ of Liberty" and the death penalty
• Sentencing Law and Policy - a member of the Law Professor Blogs Network
• SCOTUS blog - Supreme Court of the United States blog

STATISTICS

• TRACfed - statistics from Syracuse University's TRAC project on Critical Criminology.
• FedStats - many general statistics (including corrections)
• Bureau of Justice Statistics - many stats, including Prisons; Expenditures
• Federal Justice Statistics Resource Center - full data sets
• National Archive of Criminal Justice Data
• Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics - extensive statistics on the criminal justice system
• National Criminal Justice Reference Service - corrections publications
• National Institute of Corrections

OTHER

• American Correctional Association - publications
• American Jail Association - publications
• American Society of Criminology (ASC) and the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS):
  • Critical Criminology
  • Government Data
    
• Prison Legal News Links - miscellaneous resources for prisoners
• HIV/AIDS in Prisons links
• The Other Side of the Wall - prison resources
• California's Habeas Corpus Resource Center
• Prison Activist Resource Center: Medical Neglect Behind Bars