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

Eighth person in state prison dies from COVID as advocates demand releases

  • Justice
  • by Kelan Lyons
  • November 18, 2020
  • View as "Clean Read" "Exit Clean Read"

Yehyun Kim :: ctmirror.org

Protestors outside the Hartford Correctional Center on Wednesday are asking the governor to release inmates because of COVID. They called on Gov. Ned Lamont to use his executive authority to develop a plan that saves lives and addresses rising coronavirus cases in prisons and jails.

The Department of Correction announced Wednesday evening that an inmate has passed away due to COVID-19, the eighth person to die while incarcerated since the onset of the pandemic.

The 45-year-old man, whose name was withheld due to medical privacy laws, had been incarcerated for almost two years before he died. He had been held at Osborn Correctional Institution until Oct. 15, when he was transferred to a hospital for treatment.

Seven of the eight inmates who have died from the virus were held at Osborn. Medical staff from the Somers prison protested its employee shortage in June. At that time, one-fifth of the correctional system’s vacant health care positions were at Osborn.

The last inmate death from COVID occurred on May 26.

As of Nov. 6, almost 1,700 people had contracted the virus in state prisons and jails, 345 of whom were at Osborn. Currently, 116 DOC staff are recovering from the virus. Less than two-dozen people in state corrections custody have the virus and are showing symptoms; 20 inmates are asymptomatic.

“This is a sobering reminder that we cannot let our guard down when it comes to the coronavirus. We will continue to take the necessary precautions to limit its spread within our facilities,” said Commissioner Designate Angel Quiros. “My condolences go out to his family and loved ones.”

The announcement came several hours after members of the Katal Center for Equity, Health and Justice met outside Hartford Correctional Center to demand Gov. Ned Lamont issue a comprehensive plan to address COVID-19 in prisons and jails. They called on the governor to protect his incarcerated constituents — more than 70% of whom are Black or Hispanic — by reducing the number of people locked in state correctional facilities. The governor and DOC commissioner have wide latitude to release people from prisons and jails.

“How we treat the most marginalized in our society defines who we are,” said Tiffany Minakhom, a member of Katal.

Yehyun Kim :: ctmirror.org

Lynn Ofori, a member of the Katal Center, with a direct message for Gov. Ned Lamont.

Citing the precipitous decline in the prison population since March 1 — there are 3,111 fewer people in correctional facilities today than there were on that date — Max Reiss, Lamont’s spokesperson, praised the Department of Correction’s work to reduce the number of people behind bars through the expanded use of discretionary releases. He said the governor is not considering releasing large numbers of incarcerated people because of COVID-19.

“DOC has done incredible work throughout the pandemic to mitigate the risk of spread within facilities,” Reiss said several hours before the DOC’s announcement. “The release process is going to remain the way it’s been.”

The decline in Connecticut’s prison population is due to a myriad of factors. The DOC increased its use of discretionary releases — meaning people were released on parole or sent to a halfway house before their end of sentence date— near the beginning of the pandemic. In March, the state let 522 people out of prison through discretionary release. In April, 545 were let go. In May, 548.

Primarily, the decline in the prison population is due to the fact that there are fewer people going in the front door of the prison system, not an exodus of individuals released from the back. The criminal courts have been largely shut down since March, allowing the sentenced population to decline by 3,000. The number of people admitted to prison or jail in September was almost 50% lower than the same month in 2019.

As more people are let out and fewer enter correctional facilities, the inmate population continues to decline.

Discretionary releases have slowed down as the number of eligible inmates has declined. In September, 330 people left prison through a discretionary release, about 100 more than the previous month. More than 450 people were released via discretionary release in June.

If the governor refuses to act, advocates at Wednesday’s rally vowed to push for change through another branch of government: the legislature.

“Next session is going to be a long one,” said Tiheba Bain, the founder of Women Against Mass Incarceration. “You are going to see our faces every day, if we’re able, at the LOB [Legislative Office Building,] at the Captiol and at the Governor’s Mansion.”

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 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
Man jailed on $155k bond dies of COVID-19
by Kelan Lyons

This is the sixth incarcerated person to die from the virus this month.

As seniors complain of trouble scheduling COVID vaccines, Connecticut beefs up its appointment phone line
by Jenna Carlesso

Gov. Lamont praised Connecticut's efforts to vaccinate seniors but wasn't as eager to discuss problems with the state's appointment system.

Lamont to extend COVID emergency until April 20
by Mark Pazniokas

Unless a committee of 10 lawmakers votes to reject the declaration, it will take effect within 72 hours of signing.

The state’s largest COVID vaccine center is up and running — but so far, there’s no formal plan to pay for it
by Jenna Carlesso and Dave Altimari

State officials say the vaccine rollout is similar to the mass testing plans and hunt for protective equipment last spring.

Pandemic eases, and complicates, legislating
by Mark Pazniokas

The legislature’s Labor and Public Employees Committee co-chairs skipped the masks, but they were very socially distant.

Support Our Work

Show your love for great stories and outstanding journalism.

$
Select One
  • Monthly
  • Yearly
  • Once
Artpoint painter
CT ViewpointsCT Artpoints
Opinion It’s time to standardize arts grants in Connecticut
by Mandi Jackson and Daniel Fitzmaurice

What all arts organizations need most right now is multi-year, unrestricted general operating support with simplified, fair processes for accountability. This would allow the arts community to better respond to the needs of Connecticut residents instead of the political process, lobbyists, or wealthy donors.

Opinion Accessory dwelling units are a good thing
by Toni Gold

Connecticut’s large, old houses are a resource that any town should treasure — not just for their charm and historical value, but because of their potential for adaptation. One tool that can help ensure the viability of these structures is zoning, and particularly zoning for accessory dwelling units (ADUs). There’s a movement to  legalize ADUs statewide. It’s a good idea whose time has come.

Opinion New Haven and Yale: Giamatti and DiLieto:  A historic moment? Or a model? 
by Neil Thomas Proto

The City of New Haven’s effort today to seek an increase in financial contribution from Yale is more historically justified than is often recognized.

Opinion A call to save arms: is vaccination really the solution?
by Genevieve Diamant

Economic modelling done by professional statisticians is often used to claim that the ounce of prevention provided by a vaccine is much better than the pound of cure that well-funded hospitals, fully staffed with professional nurses and doctors, using effective pharmaceutical remedies, can provide. But is this actually true?

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