As a civil rights attorney who has spent years fighting for justice and accountability in Connecticut, I have been deeply troubled by the recent revelations about the conduct and attitudes of officials within the Attorney General’s office, particularly those tasked with overseeing our state’s prison system and criminal justice apparatus.
The emails disclosed from Deputy Attorney General Terrence O’Neill and his colleagues in the “Public Safety Division” paint a disturbing picture of a department more concerned with protecting the state from liability than with ensuring the fair treatment and well-being of all those impacted by our legal system.
In one particularly egregious exchange, O’Neill jokes about having “pizza, beer, fentanyl and Narcan” while watching a public hearing on oversight for the Department of Correction. This cavalier attitude toward the deadly opioid epidemic and the suffering of those in our state’s custody is wildly inappropriate. It’s especially offensive considering the medical neglect and suffering that incarcerated individuals are experiencing on the state’s watch, as recent reporting has made clear. But it also raises serious questions about the priorities and values of those charged with upholding justice in our state.
Sadly, this incident is not an isolated lapse in judgment, but rather part of a larger pattern of callousness and indifference within the Attorney General’s office. In a recent legal brief, Assistant Attorney General Leland Moore argued that a 27-year-old man who died of an overdose in a halfway house was “responsible for his own death,” abdicating the state’s responsibility for the safety and well-being of those in its custody. Individuals in halfway houses are still under the care and in the custody of the Department of Correction. The AG’s office’s appalling lack of empathy and accountability is a shameful response to a tragic loss of life and a dereliction of the state’s moral and legal obligations.
O’Neill’s division is also responsible for defending the state against lawsuits brought by the wrongfully convicted seeking compensation for the years unjustly stolen from them. The case of Richard Lapointe, who died waiting for the state to pay his claim after spending 26 years behind bars for a crime he did not commit, is a heartbreaking example of the human toll of this office’s obstruction and delay.
The late Lapointe, his family and supporters are not alone in this struggle; many other wrongfully convicted individuals have been waiting for years to receive the compensation they are owed by the state. By blocking and delaying these payments, the Attorney General’s office is not only compounding the injustice these individuals have suffered, but also standing in the way of badly needed reforms to our criminal justice system.
The department appears to have lost sight of its core mission to serve justice and protect the rights of all Connecticut residents. Instead of working to ensure accountability and transparency in our prison system and courts, O’Neill and his colleagues seem more concerned with shielding the state from liability and maintaining the status quo.
This culture of callousness and obstruction cannot be allowed to continue. It undermines public trust in our justice system, compounds the trauma and suffering of those already victimized by wrongful convictions and official misconduct, and makes a mockery of our state’s professed commitment to equal justice under law.
Attorney General William Tong has a moral and professional obligation to take decisive action to address this crisis of leadership within his office. The first step must be the immediate removal of Terrence O’Neill and any other officials who have demonstrated such a shocking lack of empathy and judgment. O’Neill’s emails are a disgrace to his office and the state as a whole. That no one else saw fit to correct this behavior is also troubling. But cleaning house alone is not enough.
The Attorney General’s office must also commit to a full, transparent reckoning with its role in perpetuating injustice and obstructing accountability. This should include an independent investigation into the culture and practices of the Public Safety Division, as well as a comprehensive review of all cases involving wrongful convictions and prisoner mistreatment, especially in the medical field.
Furthermore, Attorney General William Tong must work with state lawmakers and advocates to enact meaningful reforms to our prison system and courts, including stronger oversight mechanisms, improved access to legal representation for the incarcerated, and streamlined processes for compensating the wrongfully convicted.
As residents of Connecticut, we all have a stake in this issue and a responsibility to demand better from our public officials. We must insist that our justice system lives up to its name by treating all people with dignity, fairness, and respect, regardless of their background or circumstances.
The Attorney General’s office has a critical role to play in this effort, but it can only fulfill that role if it is led by individuals of integrity, compassion, and a steadfast commitment to justice. The recent revelations about Terrence O’Neill and his colleagues make clear that this is not currently the case.
It is time for Attorney General Tong to step up and take bold action to restore public trust and accountability to his office. Only then can we build a justice system worthy of its name.