Free Daily Headlines :

  • COVID-19
  • Vaccine Info
  • Money
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Health
  • Justice
  • More
    • Environment
    • Economic Development
    • Gaming
    • Investigations
    • Social Services
    • TRANSPORTATION
  • Opinion
    • CT Viewpoints
    • CT Artpoints
DONATE
Reflecting Connecticut’s Reality.
    COVID-19
    Vaccine Info
    Money
    Politics
    Education
    Health
    Justice
    More
    Environment
    Economic Development
    Gaming
    Investigations
    Social Services
    TRANSPORTATION
    Opinion
    CT Viewpoints
    CT Artpoints

LET�S GET SOCIAL

Show your love for great stories and out standing journalism

After two sessions, no legislation on prison conditions leaves advocates frustrated

  • Justice
  • by Kelan Lyons
  • September 29, 2020
  • View as "Clean Read" "Exit Clean Read"

Katal Center’s lead community organizer Kenyatta M. Thompson reads quotes from Gov. Ned Lamont, prison inmates and their loved ones in a demonstration outside the State Capitol Tuesday.

The day before lawmakers are to gavel in their second special session of the COVID-19 era, two groups of advocates met at the Capitol Tuesday to chide them for neglecting to address conditions of confinement in state prisons and jails.

“We’re calling for help, and they’re not doing anything,” said Isaiah Terry, a member of the Katal Center for Health, Equity and Justice, the group that held the first of two corrections-related press conferences on Tuesday.

The police accountability bill passed in the summer session included a handful of provisions that dealt with corrections: As of Oct. 1, prison staff will have a duty to intervene when their peers use illegal or excessive force. And, the inspector general — once the Judiciary Committee decides which of two candidates to send to the legislature for appointment — will investigate whenever someone dies in prison to determine whether the death was the result of a criminal action.

But those are responses that occur after an abuse and don’t address systemic issues, like the use of solitary confinement, said Joseph Gaylin, an organizer with Stop Solitary CT, which hosted the day’s second press conference.

“There still has been no real conversation in the legislature about corrections accountability,” said Gaylin.

Members of Katal called on the governor and other state officials to release inmates from state correctional facilities to spare them from contracting COVID-19. They read testimony from people currently incarcerated who have been unable to adequately wash and protect themselves from the virus, who have financial difficulty paying for costly phone calls to stay in touch with their families, and who have had trouble getting medical care during the pandemic.

The Department of Correction reports that there have been 1,558 positive cases of COVID-19 in state prisons and jails as of Sept. 18. According to The Marshall Project the number of known cases per 10,000 prisoners is 925% higher than Connecticut overall.

Katal sent a letter to Gov. Ned Lamont’s office on Monday demanding he and other officials take immediate action to protect incarcerated people from the virus, and to come up with a clear, transparent and comprehensive plan to protect the lives of people held in the state’s prisons and jails. The group noted that the governor has twice canceled meetings with them and others who have loved ones in custody, an engagement the administration has not rescheduled.

“If you took the time to meet with these directly impacted CT residents, you would better understand how to create effective public policies that center the most vulnerable and at-risk individuals of our state, the letter reads. “Yet you have repeatedly shown disinterest in the concerns and experiences of people, especially people of color, impacted by mass incarceration.”

The state reached a legal settlement with the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut in July that required prison officials to increase medical monitoring for people who test positive for the virus, prioritize elderly and medically vulnerable inmates for release, and provide inmates with cleaning materials and personal protective equipment.

Many of the terms of the agreement are listed in Katal’s demands for the special session, though Katal’s calls are more wide-ranging. They are pressing for an “aggressive plan for emergency release” of people from correctional facilities and a mandate that the department make public their plans for prevention and management of the virus in each correctional facility. They are also urging those plans be subjected to oversight by an independent body of health experts.

They also are pushing for the DOC to ease its housing restrictions so incarcerated people aren’t stuck behind bars. The first man who died from the virus in prison had been approved for discretionary release but was unable to get out because he did not have an appropriate home sponsor.

Last week the department announced it had completed its second round of mass testing. Three percent of the prison population tested positive for the virus.

Sen. Gary Winfield, D-New Haven, one of two legislators who showed up at the press conferences, suggested the low infection rate was not due to a coordinated effort among officials.

“We shouldn’t be happy that by chance our rates were low,” Winfield said. “That’s not because of any action that we took.”

Winfield said what’s needed now is clarity around the state’s pandemic plan for its correctional facilities, so officials can undertake a comprehensive effort that is cognizant of the needs of prison staff and inmates alike.

“What I think needs to happen is there needs to be a coming together to actually talk about what we’re doing, why we’re doing it and whether or not it’s the right thing to do,” he said.

The pandemic’s effect on the incarcerated population will be a focus of next year’s legislative session, Winfield said. He anticipates a bill that would make it easier for people to get compassionate release, since the existing laws are not designed to allow people to get out of prison to avoid COVID-19.

“You have to be basically at death’s door in order to get some compassion,” said Winfield.

The co-chair of the Judiciary Committee, Winfield pledged to raise a bill released by Stop Solitary CT earlier this year. The measure, dubbed the PROTECT Act, would empower an oversight group to investigate and make recommendations to the DOC; create regulatory standards to effectively end solitary confinement; and close Northern Correctional Institution, the state’s most secure prison.

“In January when the full session opens, since our leaders are not going to be discussing us in this session, we need to make sure that the boldest, most courageous legislators are leading in the House and the Senate to make sure our voices are heard,” said Barbara Fair, a member of Stop Solitary CT’s steering committee. “Passing the PROTECT Act is a mandate for 2021.”

Closing a prison possible?

In a statement, a spokesperson for the DOC noted that the newly nominated commissioner, Angel Quiros, has said the department will explore the possibility of closing more than one correctional facility.

“However, the process is still in the planning stages, and as such no specific facility has been identified,” said the spokesman, Andrius Banevicius.

The department has reduced its use of administrative segregation — commonly known as solitary confinement — over the past few years, Banevicius said, a reduction the new commissioner is committed to continuing.

“Even though there is a high threshold for placement of an offender in AS, there are times when it is warranted,” Banevicius said. “For example, as the consequence of a significant act of violence which jeopardized the safety of offenders and/or staff members.”

Banevicius said placement in administrative segregation is temporary, and that the department’s use of the confinement has clearly defined, finite timeframes. Those in segregation can access group programming or recreation, make phone calls and interact with counselors and clinicians.

Nonetheless, Banevicius said, “Commissioner Quiros is committed to working with legislators and stake holders on all topics affecting the DOC during the next legislative session.”

Sign up for CT Mirror's free daily news summary.

Free to Read. Not Free to Produce.

The Connecticut Mirror is a nonprofit newsroom. 90% of our revenue comes from people like you. If you value our reporting please consider making a donation. You'll enjoy reading CT Mirror even more knowing you helped make it happen.

YES, I'LL DONATE TODAY

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kelan Lyons is a Report For America Corps Member who covers the intersection of mental health and criminal justice for CT Mirror. Before joining CT Mirror, Kelan was a staff writer for City Weekly, an alt weekly in Salt Lake City, Utah, and a courts reporter for The Bryan-College Station Eagle, in Texas. He is originally from Philadelphia.

SEE WHAT READERS SAID

RELATED STORIES
Will getting teachers vaccinated get students back in school full time? It might not be that easy
by Jacqueline Rabe Thomas, Kasturi Pananjady and Adria Watson

Districts will have to convince parents and students that in-person learning is safe and that students won't bring COVID-19 home.

Lamont urges patience as residents flood online, phone systems in search of COVID vaccine appointments
by Jenna Carlesso, Mark Pazniokas and Dave Altimari

Residents reported long wait times on the phone, difficulty with online systems and appointments as far out as late April.

Who can get vaccinated against COVID in Connecticut, and when? Here’s what you need to know.
by Jenna Carlesso

Residents aged 55 and older can sign up starting March 1.

Have a case of a COVID variant? No one is going to tell you
by Christina Jewett and JoNel Aleccia | Kaiser Health News and Rachana Pradhan

Federal rules around who can be told about the variant cases are confusing, and tests have not been approved.

CT teachers are expected to get vaccinated for COVID at local clinics, but other options could cause problems
by Dave Altimari

School employees could end up on two lists, which means some vaccine might go to waste, officials said.

Support Our Work

Show your love for great stories and outstanding journalism.

$
Select One
  • Monthly
  • Yearly
  • Once
Artpoint painter
CT ViewpointsCT Artpoints
Opinion How do we show that we value teachers? By listening to them.
by Sana Shaikh

When I was graduating college, my friends’ futures were brimming with impressive labels: Google, Facebook, McKinsey, Bain, PhD, MD, Fulbrights – the list of professional excellence was seemingly never-ending. When I said that I was becoming a teacher, I got puzzled looks – “Why would you be a teacher?” “If you can’t do, teach,” I heard. The nonchalance about my professional trajectory was unsettling. What’s more? Nothing has changed in the last ten years.

Opinion Sports betting in Connecticut: Can’t all the brands just get along?
by Bill Field

When it comes to legalized sports betting in Connecticut, it’s time that all of the parties gathered in a room and hammered out an agreement that works for everyone. The adage of everyone benefiting from a rising tide hasn’t resonated in the past two and half years. 

Opinion COVID-19 will push nursing home design forward
by Myles R. Brown

Over 40 percent of American deaths attributed to COVID-19 have been nursing home residents. Outdated nursing home designs contributed to the scale of this tragedy in Connecticut. Many design changes that could have prevented the spread of COVID-19 were already needed to improve the well-being of nursing home residents. The pandemic has made these issues impossible to ignore.

Opinion Let gig economy workers pursue options
by Nicole Petruzzi

In response to your February 22 story, “In an evolving economy, lawmakers take roles once played by unions:” Like many Connecticut workers, I struggle to make ends meet for my family, even when working full time. This last year has been a particularly hard time. I started looking for a part-time job to supplement my income, but I was worried that even something part-time would take away precious and needed time with my family.

Artwork Grand guidance
by Anne:Gogh

In a world of systemic oppression aimed towards those of darker skintones – representation matters. We are more than our equity elusive environments, more than numbers in a prison and much more than victims of societal dispositions. This piece depicts a melanated young man draped in a cape ascending high above multiple forms of oppression. […]

Artwork Shea
by Anthony Valentine

Shea is a story about race and social inequalities that plague America. It is a narrative that prompts the question, “Do you know what it’s like to wake up in new skin?”

Artwork The Declaration of Human Rights
by Andres Chaparro

Through my artwork I strive to create an example of ideas that reflect my desire to raise social consciousness, and cultural awareness. Jazz music is the catalyst to all my work, and plays a major influence in each piece of work.”

Artwork ‘A thing of beauty. Destroy it forever’
by Richard DiCarlo | Derby

During times like these it’s often fun to revisit something familiar and approach things with a different slant. I have been taking some Pop culture and Art masterpieces and applying the vintage 1960’s and 70’s classic figures (Fisher Price, little people) to the make an amusing pieces. Here is my homage to Fisher -Price, Yellow […]

Twitter Feed
A Twitter List by CTMirror

Engage

  • Reflections Tickets & Sponsorships
  • Events
  • Donate
  • Newsletter Sign-Up
  • Submit to Viewpoints
  • Submit to ArtPoints
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Commenting Guidelines
  • Legal Notices
  • Contact Us

About

  • About CT Mirror
  • Announcements
  • Board
  • Staff
  • Sponsors and Funders
  • Donors
  • Friends of CT Mirror
  • History
  • Financial
  • Policies
  • Strategic Plan

Opportunity

  • Advertising and Sponsorship
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Use of Photography
  • Work for Us

Go Deeper

  • Steady Habits Podcast
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Five Things

The Connecticut News Project, Inc. 1049 Asylum Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105. Phone: 860-218-6380

© Copyright 2021, The Connecticut News Project. All Rights Reserved. Website by Web Publisher PRO