The Hartford Community Correctional Center on Weston Street is being upgraded to make it more secure and improve the living and working conditions for inmates and prison staff. Prison officials said the expansion and renovations come in response to the prison's growing population, the availability of improved technology and years of wear and tear. Their plan is to make the facility, built in the mid-1970s, comply with modern-day requirements. Learn more in this October 11, 2004 Hartford Courant article. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: October 11, 2004
Document
Link: /issues/documents/PrisonerRe-entry/htfd_courant_101104.asp
Related Link(s):
Connecticut Department of Correction: Hartford Correctional Center
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The Connecticut Juvenile Training School is the topic of this editorial. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: February 8, 2005
Document
Link: /issues/documents/crime/htfd_courant_020805.asp
Related Link(s):
Rell Proposed Closing Training School
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Experts say that good drug policy should reduce crime, use of illicit drugs and risky health behavior, and result in better housing, jobs and health care for users. Fortunately, reasonable and effective treatment for substance abuse, which is a crucial part of good drug policy, is available. Unfortunately, Connecticut's criminal justice system and state agencies place barriers to treatment for drug dependence. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: January 24, 2010
Document
Link: /issues/documents/drugs/htfd_courant_012410.asp
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Rick Green expresses the opinion that instead of repeating sound-bite demands for a three-strikes-and-you're-out law, Gov. Rell ought to spend more time listening to Theresa Lantz, her innovative � and tough � correction commissioner. Earlier this year, as part of the governor's task force on sentencing and parole, a subcommittee chaired by Lantz compiled a detailed package of recommendations to improve the re-entry of prisoners into the community. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: April 08, 2008
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_040808.asp
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Democrats in the House of Representatives outmuscled Republicans recently to give final approval to a hotly contested bill that would give inmates sentence-reduction credits if they participate in self-improvement programs. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: June 01, 2011
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_060111.asp
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In a new federal pilot program being tested in Connecticut, a group of specially trained probation officers will handle female-only caseloads and manage them using a new approach that, among other strategies, draws on the women's strengths instead of their weaknesses. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: September 04, 2007
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_090407.asp
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Hundreds of people recently attended a Hartford community meeting to confront Gov. M. Jodi Rell about what they perceive as the negative effects of her temporary ban on parole for violent offenders. Correction Commissioner Theresa Lantz was in the hot seat at the United Methodist Church, though, because Rell sent her instead. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: October 31, 2007
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_103107.asp
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As many as 1,200 inmates serving time for nonviolent crimes will be considered for early release to make room for violent offenders ineligible for parole under new policies ordered by Gov. M. Jodi Rell. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: September 25, 2007
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_092507.asp
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This draft report presents the findings of a recidivism study of all inmates that were discharged from DOC facilities or supervision in 2000. The present study assessed reconviction rates by utilizing data collected electronically from the Department of Correction and the Connecticut Judicial Branch. Of the 9,501 inmates released during 2000, 87% of them were found to have court records following their release. The overall reconviction rate was 39%. (PDF document, 13 pages). Published by
Connecticut Department of Corrections
; Publication Date: April 2006
Document
Link: /issues/wsd/crime/recidivismstudy.pdf
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Violent offenders are spending more time in prison before earning parole, following changes made in the two years since the brutal slaying of three members of a Cheshire family exposed inadequacies in the state's prisoner-release system. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: July 26, 2009
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_072609.asp
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Advocates for Hartford's destitute, together with colleagues at the University of Connecticut, mourned the loss on August 21, 2007 of Albert Alissi, a longtime UConn professor of social work who for many years served on the board of trustees of the Open Hearth agency for homeless men. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: August 22, 2007
Document
Link: /issues/documents/homelessness/htfd_courant_082207.asp
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By age 23, there is a one-in-three chance that an American youth has been arrested. That shocking data comes from a recent article in the journal Pediatrics. Youth advocates used to push for afterschool programming because kids were at prime risk of delinquency between the hours of 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. In fact, the most common place for a youth to get arrested in Connecticut may be in school. Increasingly adults are recognizing that arrest should be a last resort in dealing with adolescent behavior. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: January 03, 2012
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_010312.asp
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State employees might be hoping to keep their jobs. But the ex-offenders who attended a job fair at the Connecticut Expo Center recently were just hoping to get one. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: May 12, 2011
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_051211.asp
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A bill to decriminalize the possession of small amounts marijuana cleared the legislature's powerful finance committee recently and now goes to the Senate. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: May 11, 2011
Document
Link: /issues/documents/drugs/htfd_courant_051111.asp
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Stan Simpson writes that a few years ago, the national dropout rate for African American males was 70 percent. Today, the high school graduation rate for black boys is about 50 percent. The viability of the multibillion-dollar prison industry is sustained by underperforming urban schools. These dropout factories produce a precious prison commodity: uneducated urban boys. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: January 06, 2012
Document
Link: /issues/documents/education/htfd_courant_010612_2.asp
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In this opinion piece, the author expresses the opinion that when bail is posted for a third of the legally required rate, the state is not properly indemnified, deterrence to re-offend is reduced and public safety is put at risk. This problem was outlined in a 2003 Legislative Program Review and Investigation report, which found that in addition to illegal undercutting or rebating fees, some bondsmen were engaged in such practices as loan-sharking on cash bonds, intimidation and issuing phony bonds. The report found that the industry was badly under-regulated. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: August 14, 2008
Document
Link: /issues/documents/crime/htfd_courant_081408_1.asp
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A Proposal to Reinvest Corrections Savings in an Employment Initiative. This study was commissioned by Representative William Dyson, Chair, Appropriations Committee, CT General Assembly to consider options to improve employment rates among people released from prison and jail. State Representative Bill Dyson has been serving the members of the 94th Assembly District (New Haven) in the House of Representatives since 1976, and he is currently House Chair of the appropriations Committee. The report is authored by James Austin, Director, Institute on Crime, Justice and Corrections at George Washington University, and Michael P. Jacobson, Professor, John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Data provided by the Department of Corrections, the Court Support Services Division and other government organizations. Published by
Council of State Governments Criminal Justice Programs
; Publication Date: January 15, 2003
Document
Link: /issues/wsd/PrisonerRe-entry/report-2-28.pdf
Related Link(s):
Connecticut General Assembly: Representative William Dyson: Prison Overcrowding Issues
;
Connecticut General Assembly: House Bill #5211: An Act Concerning Prison Overcrowding
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A Proposal to Reinvest Corrections Savings in an Employment Initiative. This is a follow-up report to the study commissioned by Representative William Dyson, Chair, Appropriations Committee, CT General Assembly to consider options to improve employment rates among people released from prison and jail. State Representative Bill Dyson has been serving the members of the 94th Assembly District (New Haven) in the House of Representatives since 1976, and he is currently House Chair of the appropriations Committee. The report is authored by James Austin, Director, Institute on Crime, Justice and Corrections at George Washington University, and Michael P. Jacobson, Professor, John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Data provided by the Department of Corrections Published by
Council of State Governments Criminal Justice Programs
; Publication Date: February 18, 2004
Document
Link: /issues/wsd/PrisonerRe-entry/building_bridges_report_update.pdf
Related Link(s):
Connecticut General Assembly: Representative William Dyson: Prison Overcrowding Issues
;
Connecticut General Assembly: House Bill #5211: An Act Concerning Prison Overcrowding
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Stan Simpson remarks on changes in attitudes toward prisons. Just eight months ago Connecticut was singled out in a private report for its enlightened approach to managing its prison population. The state was focusing more on prison diversion and drug treatment for nonviolent offenders than on incarceration. Then, along came Cheshire. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: October 31, 2007
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_103107_1.asp
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Connecticut's correction and judicial system experts are seeing some encouraging signs of improvement coming, two years after State Rep.
William Dyson's forum on Correction System problems. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: November 13, 2004
Document
Link: /issues/documents/crime/htfd_courant_111304.asp
Related Link(s):
Building Bridges: From Conviction to Employment (PDF File)
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Building Bridges: From Conviction to Employment ONE YEAR LATER (PDF File)
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The African American Alliance, a community action group in Hartford, arranged a forum as a way to dissect the ongoing problem of gun violence in the city, especially violence among young people. The forum was scheduled as a follow-up to a meeting held two months earlier in response to a wave of shootings among young people in the city's North End. Mayor Eddie Perez, Child Advocate Jeanne Milstein and top Hartford police officials participated in the forum. Several residents said the efforts may be well-intentioned, but they are likely doomed to failure. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: April 8, 2005
Document
Link: /issues/documents/familiesandchildren/htfd_courant_040805.asp
Related Link(s):
Officials Seek Solutions to Youth Violence
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Community Partners in Action, Inc., is a non-profit criminal rehabilitation organization building community by providing services that promote accountability, dignity, and restoration for people affected by the Criminal Justice System. The web site includes information on current and past programs like alternative incarceration, transitional housing, day incarceration, young offender, work release, resettlement, substance abuse and mental health, juvenile detention center for girls, fatherhood, education, HIV/AIDS, and ECHO (Education Can Help Outcomes).
Publication Date: 2005
Document
Link: /Issues/wsd/PrisonerRe-entry/wsd_2005.asp
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Two major issues are currently coursing their way through the Connecticut legislature. First, there's the push for the elimination of the death penalty, which has gained momentum after Governor Dannel Malloy said he'd sign a bill abolishing capital punishment if it made it to his desk. There is also the separate push to expand the collection of DNA by law enforcement in the state. Published by
The Hartford Advocate
; Publication Date: February 15, 2011
Document
Link: /issues/documents/crime/htfd_advocate_021511.asp
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The Board of Pardons and Paroles is an autonomous panel with administrative support provided by the Department of Correction. The Board possesses discretionary authority to grant pardons for criminal convictions and to place appropriate offenders in the community under supervision as a means of supporting their successful reintegration into law abiding society. Published by
Connecticut Department of Corrections, Board of Pardons and Paroles
Document
Link: /Issues/wsd/PrisonerRe-entry/board_of_pardons_parole.asp
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This web page provides a summary of the state law on criminal sentence review and modification, including the criteria for reducing sentences; statistics on applications or petitions for review or modification; and a comparison of Connecticut's law to the law in the other New England states. Published by
Connecticut General Assembly, Office of Legislative Research
; Publication Date: June 27, 2008
Document
Link: /issues/wsd/Crime/wsd_062708.asp
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The Connecticut Pardon Team, Inc. provides tools and information to help change the lives of individuals who were formerly convicted of a crime, who have successfully completed their parole and/or probation, who have remained conviction-free for at least 5 years, who have made significant steps toward rebuilding their lives and have taken positive action to rehabilitate themselves, who are taking a proactive role in giving back to their communities, and who are setting an exceptional example for other convicted persons. Published by
Connecticut Pardon Team
Document
Link: /Issues/wsd/PrisonerRe-entry/wsd_connecticutpardonteam.asp
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Under pressure to respond after two deadly home invasions in the past nine months, the state Senate voted recently to strengthen the state's criminal law and allocate $10 million for enhanced crime-fighting. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: April 24, 2008
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_042408.asp
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The State of Connecticut is projecting a budget deficit of $8.7 billion over the next two years. And the current $691 million budget for the Department of Correction's 19,000 inmates will hit $709 million in 2010. In comparison, in 1985, the prison budget was $92.4 million for 5,379 inmates. Stan Simpson writes about the situation. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: March 04, 2009
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_030409.asp
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In this opinion piece, the author expresses the opinion that in Connecticut�s booming prison economy there are winners and losers. Inmates face financial ruin and state taxpayers lose too � about $31,419 per year, per inmate. Prison entrepreneurs, for whom each inmate is a government subsidized business opportunity, are the big winners. Published by
The Hartford Business Journal
; Publication Date: April 07, 2008
Document
Link: /issues/documents/crime/hbj_040708.asp
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In this editorial, the Courant expresses the opinion that the state legislature should support the many community-based alternatives to incarceration. There is little question that community alternatives are less costly that prison. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: March 08, 2009
Document
Link: /issues/documents/crime/htfd_courant_030809.asp
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In this opinion piece, the author suggests that the Connecticut General Assembly should be congratulated for rejecting a proposal to create a three-strikes law in the state. With more than a decade to evaluate the effectiveness of the three-strikes laws, we know they are largely symbolic, tend to over-emphasize nonviolent offenders, the poor and minorities, and that the costs may exceed the public safety benefits. Published by
The Hartford Business Journal
; Publication Date: February 04, 2008
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/hbj_020408.asp
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First-timers caught with a small amount of pot in Connecticut will soon be treated like traffic scofflaws instead of criminals. The House of Representatives voted 90-57 Tuesday to decriminalize possession of a half-ounce or less of marijuana, the equivalent of about 30 joints. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: June 08, 2011
Document
Link: /issues/documents/drugs/htfd_courant_060811.asp
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Students in the "Law and You" social studies class at Hartford Public High School were prompted to think about the possible consequences of choices they make during a recent visit to the Cheshire Correctional Institution. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: March 4, 2006
Document
Link: /issues/documents/FamiliesAndChildren/htfd_courant_030406.asp
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In this editorial, the Courant supports treating youth who commit crimes between the ages of 16 and 18 in the juvenile court system, making them eligible for services such as schooling, alternative sentencing, mental health and rehabilitative treatment. Currently, Connecticut is one of only three states that treats such teenagers as adults. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: February 26, 2006
Document
Link: /issues/documents/familiesandchildren/htfd_courant_022606.asp
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Disparity in possession of crack and powdered cocaine sentences is the subject of this Hartford Courant opinion. Because of the extraordinarily tough sentencing for sale and possession of a relatively small amount of crack versus an ounce of cocaine, low-income defendants are serving excessive jail time. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: February 24, 2005
Document
Link: /issues/documents/crime/htfd_courant_022405.asp
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Of the 14,400 men released from Connecticut prisons in 2005, nearly 80 percent were rearrested by 2010, and just under half returned to prison with new sentences, according to a just-completed report that contains the most detailed data ever compiled on the state's recidivism rate. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: February 14, 2012
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_021412.asp
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Rick Green writes about Tjayda T. Jones, the ex-con with the hot dog cart dream. Jones, with half a life of drug arrests and prison time under his belt, is looking for a job. He's been out since June. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: August 08, 2008
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_080808.asp
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Rick Green follows up on Tjayda Jones, who he met a year and a half ago. His story sounded so inspirational: a con approaching middle age, with a lifetime of drug dealing, gets out of jail and declares he's done with that life. Jones was going to sell hot dogs. He still hasn't, but he is still holding on. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: December 25, 2009
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_122509.asp
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In this editorial, the Courant expresses the opinion that prisoners shouldn't have to walk into the Capitol to get help re-entering society. Drawing attention to the need for help, Leroy James Gardner, a 44-year-old ex-bank robber just out of federal prison, released in Hartford with no money or contacts and without his anxiety medication, walked over to the Capitol and, after failing to arrange a meeting with the governor, sought out Judiciary Committee co-chairman Michael Lawlor. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: May 20, 2009
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_052009.asp
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Stan Simpson writes about Leroy James Gardner, a 44-year-old ex-offender, who was recently released by the federal government with only his brown prison outfit on his back, no money in his pocket, no referrals for housing or counseling � and without his anxiety medication. Kicked to the curb on Main Street in Hartford, steps from the federal courthouse that freed him, Gardner decided his only recourse was to walk to the Capitol and personally ask the governor for help. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: May 13, 2009
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_051309.asp
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The new life of Tjayda T. Jones lies waiting, neatly arranged and re-arranged on his bed in a second-floor apartment on Hillside Avenue in Hartford. Bible. Resume. Clean clothes. Certificates of achievement. A book about driving laws. A Narcotics Anonymous manual. A photocopied magazine article: "How to Really Start Your Own Business." Somewhere within all this are the components of the dream that nourishes him. A hot dog cart of his own. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: June 17, 2008
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_061708.asp
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STRIDE, now in its 10th year, provides transition training for Connecticut felons three months before they're released. However, there was no such program for those under federal jurisdiction, as opposed to state jurisdiction. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: June 20, 2009
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_062009.asp
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Treatment varies for suburban and urban youths charged with crimes. According to the state's Commission on Racial and Ethnic Disparity in the Criminal Justice System, disparities might be curbed if cities had as many counselors, police and school officials assigned to give troubled youths individual attention as some of the suburbs have. The commission plans to suggest possible changes in state legislation that might bridge that gap in funding, programs and personnel so that cities can create programs geared toward helping first-time offenders before they are arrested. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: January 19, 2005
Document
Link: /issues/documents/crime/htfd_courant_011905.asp
Related Link(s):
Commission on Racial and Ethnic Disparity in the Criminal Justice System Annual Report and Recommendations 2003-04 (PDF document 85 pages)
;
http://www.jud.state.ct.us/
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On the day that she signed a bipartisan bill to strengthen criminal laws after last summer's triple slaying in Cheshire, Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell clashed sharply with Democrats over whether they are soft on crime. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: January 26, 2008
Document
Link: /issues/documents/crime/htfd_courant_012608.asp
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Two local men are repaying their debt to society by starting a summer employment program for kids from Nelton Court. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: July 28, 2005
Document
Link: /issues/documents/housing/htfd_courant_072805.asp
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Stan Simpson writes about Leroy Gardner, whom he had met at the Mark Twain library several weeks ago. He was working on a column about the closing of the Hartford branch library. Gardner, 44, a bald, fit, eloquent man, was working the computer. Gardner had just been released after serving time in a Federal Prison, and was doing his best to land a job. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: August 09, 2008
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_080908.asp
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This report focuses on the State�s Correction, Parole and Probation Systems, that together constitute one of the fastest expanding segments of the Connecticut budget. Connecticut faces the worst fiscal crisis in a generation. The State Office of Fiscal Analysis reports a projected $3.4 billion deficit on estimated expenditures of $19.2 billion for fiscal 2012, which begins July first of next year. Shrinking revenues are forcing governors and legislators to examine all areas of public spending for possible savings. (PDF document, 8 pages) Published by
Connecticut Regional Institute for the 21st Century
; Publication Date: October 2010
Document
Link: /issues/wsd/PrisonerRe-entry/prisonsummaryfinal.pdf
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Would tracking the movements of parolees and persons released on bail with a Geographic Positioning System (GPS) be an infringement on constitutional rights or a necessary step to reduce both crime and the cost of our prison system? That question was hotly debated at a recent meeting of the Maple Avenue Revitalization Group (MARG) at St. Augustine�s Church. Published by
The Hartford News
; Publication Date: October 25 - November 1, 2006
Document
Link: /issues/documents/PrisonerRe-entry/htfd_news_102506.asp
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The Connecticut judicial branch received Special Olympics Connecticut's Community Leadership Award recently at the organization's annual event honoring volunteers. Over the past twelve years criminal offenders in alternative sentencing programs have served as volunteers for the Special Olympics. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: March 8, 2007
Document
Link: /issues/documents/PrisonerRe-entry/htfd_courant_030807.asp
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In this editorial, the Hartford Courant expresses the opinion that the idea of giving some prison inmates an incentive to take part in education, substance abuse treatment and other programs is good and long overdue - as long as the legislature keeps the programs available. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: May 28, 2011
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_052811.asp
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The rate at which Connecticut's former prisoners are rearrested is discouraging at best. According to a recent state report, 56 percent of released offenders are rearrested within two years; almost 40 percent are convicted on new charges. Clearly, more must be done to curb such recidivism. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: August 16, 2012
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_081612.asp
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The large majority of Connecticut's approximately 20,000 inmates have a huge deficiency in reading. The Sentencing and Parole Review Task Force, convened by the governor in response to the recent triple slayings in Cheshire, hosted a public hearing recently on how best to improve the re-entry process for released inmates. Here's a suggestion: Teach the inmates to read - and write. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: December 01, 2007
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_120107.asp
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State lawmakers are consider passing reforms that may cut prison populations, reduce costs and help prepare inmates for real life. Legislation to offer inmates reduced sentences for completing or participating in drug treatment or educational programs could pass with bipartisan support. Published by
The Hartford Advocate
; Publication Date: March 14, 2011
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_advocate_031411.asp
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Republicans said they held an informational hearing recently because they were looking for better information about a program that lets convicted criminals earn credits toward early release from prison. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: September 18, 2012
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_091812.asp
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For a few days last week Rick Green listened to the tales of gunplay that unfold in Superior Court Judge Bradford J. Ward's courtroom. Governor R. Jodi Rell ordered creation of the "gun courts" earlier this summer, with seasoned judges and prosecutors assigned to a docket containing only gun crimes. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: August 8, 2006
Document
Link: /issues/documents/Crime/htfd_courant_080806.asp
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New regulations create a challenge for ex-prisoners trying to return to a normal life. New restrictions were recently put in place as part of an ongoing reassessment of the state's criminal justice system. The roughly 1,200 former prisoners living in the state's halfway houses are now only allowed to leave halfway house facilities for work, religious services and treatment. Published by
The Hartford Advocate
; Publication Date: October 04
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_advocate_100407.asp
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In this editorial, the Courant expresses the opinion that just a day after the horrific home invasion and murder of Mary Ellen Welsh in New Britain last Sunday, Gov. M. Jodi Rell was calling for a "three-strikes" law. This was not leadership, it was posturing. It was a sound-bite solution to a vastly more complex problem. By later in the week, Mrs. Rell and some legislative leaders broadened the discussion to such things as the rehabilitative capacity of prisons, GPS tracking and inmate re-entry. That's more like it. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: April 06, 2008
Document
Link: /issues/documents/crime/htfd_courant_040608.asp
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Standing before a bar graph showing a steady, five-year decrease in serious crime in Hartford, Mayor Eddie A. Perez highlighted some law enforcement successes of the past year: A 9.6 percent decrease in serious crime since 2007; the formation of a team to combat gun offenses; and the start of an anonymous tip line that helped solve a shooting and three robberies. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: January 10, 2009
Document
Link: /issues/documents/crime/htfd_courant_011009.asp
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The street violence sending city youngsters to emergency rooms and to the morgue was behind the mayor's visit to Manson Youth Institution in Cheshire recently. About 20% of the inmates who are incarcerated there are from Hartford and most of them will return to the city's streets within a year or so. Perez wanted to hear from prisoners about what the city might be able to do to help them succeed when they're released - and to gently put them on notice that he's paying attention to the direction they're taking. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: March 23, 2005
Document
Link: /issues/documents/crime/htfd_courant_032305_b.asp
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A list of resources for ex-offenders in Connecticut, from Employment to Parenting (Word document, 4 pages) Published by
Hartford Public Library
; Publication Date: July 22, 2010
Document
Link: /issues/wsd/PrisonerRe-entry/Help_for_Ex-offenders.doc
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Computers for Communities, rehabs computers and provides them to the needy. The company is now working with inmates at Cheshire Correctional Institution, and they have helped refurbish dozens of computers, many given out in Hartford. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: November 27, 2006
Document
Link: /issues/documents/PrisonerRe-entry/htfd_courant_112706.asp
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On March 24, 2009, State Representative Douglas McCrory hosted an Inmate Re-Entry Informational Forum to discuss the current availability and effectiveness of the State of Connecticut�s offender/ex-offender programs. Published by
Northend Agent's
; Publication Date: May 20, 2009
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/northend_agents_052009.asp
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Recently, Rep. Douglas McCrory hosted a Pardon Informational Forum at the Hartford Public Library. In collaboration with the Connecticut Pardon Team, Inc., Rep. McCrory presented information on the procedures involved in gaining a pardon for individuals looking to better and improve their way of life. Published by
The Hartford News
; Publication Date: May 9 - 16, 2007
Document
Link: /issues/documents/PrisonerRe-entry/htfd_news_050907.asp
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The Innocence Project, run by two Yeshiva University law professors, is closing in on its 200th exoneration since the organization started as a class project 15 years ago. The chilling data it's compiling are an indictment of our public-safety and judicial systems and how much we have evolved when it comes to matters of race and criminal justice. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: April 7, 2007
Document
Link: /issues/documents/Crime/htfd_courant_040707.asp
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At first glance, the painting "Faith for George" is perplexing. Who is the boy in the LOVE T-shirt and why is he in some wild place surrounded by animals including a lion, wart hog, zebra and lamb? Why is a skeletal death figure staring at him? And what's the unblinking eye in the sky, above the setting red sun? The work, one of 333 pieces to be exhibited in May in a Hartford show of artwork by 152 Connecticut inmates, makes sense once its creator, Michael Skakel, explains it. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: April 26, 2008
Document
Link: /issues/documents/artsandculture/htfd_courant_042608.asp
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Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and several state legislators have it right: Give motivated prison inmates opportunities to acquire reading and writing aptitudes, math and vocational skills, and they will increase their chances of qualifying for honest employment when they get out. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: June 26, 2011
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_062611.asp
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Stan Simpson expresses the opinion that the state should use the $600 million it now spends on Connecticut prisons and transform them into educational and counseling centers. The greatest predictor of whether a child will end up in prison is whether or not they've had a mother or father in prison. Society has to reduce recidivism, and also remind the heirs of inmates that a prison stint is not a birthright, or something in their DNA. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: December 05, 2007
Document
Link: /issues/documents/familiesandchildren/htfd_courant_120507.asp
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Susan Campbell writes about the Connecticut Innocence Project, which seeks to free wrongly convicted people. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: January 20, 2008
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_012008.asp
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An annual show featuring paintings and drawings by Connecticut prisoners has grown less controversial over the years. Published by
The Hartford Advocate
; Publication Date: May 15, 2008
Document
Link: /issues/documents/artsandculture/htfd_advocate_051508.asp
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This report examines the systematic removal of struggling and vulnerable students from traditional high schools and explores their experiences and outcomes in the alternative and adult education programs they attend. (PDF document, 88 pages) Published by
A Better Way Foundation
; Publication Date: December 2011
Document
Link: /issues/wsd/Education/InvisibleStudents.pdf
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Visiting a loved one in jail is traumatic enough without having to pass through a hellhole on your way in. At the Hartford Correctional Center on Weston Street, recent renovations forced the relocation of the visitors' entrance from the front of the building to the back, where it was replaced by a ghastly mess. Although the state Department of Corrections embarked on the $27 million renovation in March 2002, this jury-rigged entrance remains visitors' only access. To be fair, much of the construction, including a new gym, kitchen and visitors' lobby, will benefit the prisoners. But for now, it's wreaking havoc. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: September 24, 2006
Document
Link: /issues/documents/FamiliesandChildren/htfd_courant_092406.asp
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Working at a job, after drugs and prison, is to begin to breathe again. Tjayda T. Jones, the ex-con with the dream of owing a hot-dog cart, is celebrating his new job sorting junk at the Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority. Along the uncertain path of life outside jail, it is impossible to overestimate the significance of just being able to go to work in the morning. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: September 02, 2008
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_090208.asp
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In this editorial, the Courant expresses the opinion that the time is right to start thinking about how to put large numbers of former inmates to work. The lack of a decent job got many of them in trouble in the first place. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: April 18, 2008
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_041808.asp
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This Courant editorial expresses the opinion that children with behavioral issues need treatment, not punishment. So it is a huge relief that the state Senate approved a bill ensuring that 16- and 17-year-olds who get in trouble with the law land in juvenile court rather than adult prison. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: May 31, 2007
Document
Link: /issues/documents/FamiliesandChildren/htfd_courant_053107.asp
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Perhaps more than any other state, Connecticut has absorbed the growing body of knowledge about youth development, adolescent brain research and delinquency, adopted its lessons, and used the information to fundamentally re-invent its approach to juvenile justice. As a result, Connecticut�s system today is far and away more successful, more humane, and more cost-effective than it was 10 or 20 years ago. (PDF document, 55 pages) Published by
Justice Policy Institute
; Publication Date: January 2012
Document
Link: /issues/wsd/FamiliesandChildren/jpi_juvenile_justice_reform_in_ct.pdf
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Teenagers under age 18 who are charged with misdemeanors can no longer be tried as adults in Connecticut. As of July 1, 2012, those under 18 charged with non-felonies are being handled by Connecticut�s juvenile courts. Class A and B felonies are still automatically handled in the adult courts regardless of the defendant�s age, but those under 18 who are charged with Class C and D felonies will get a hearing, after which the case could be sent to either the adult or juvenile court system. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: July 18, 2012
Document
Link: /issues/documents/familiesandchildren/htfd_courant_071812.asp
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Gov. M. Jodi Rell's proposal to allow the state Board of Pardons and Paroles access to sealed juvenile offender records is meeting resistance from youth advocates who are urging state lawmakers not to act hastily. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: January 20, 2008
Document
Link: /issues/documents/familiesandchildren/htfd_courant_012008.asp
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Nearly three years after pledging to close the troubled Connecticut Juvenile Training School for boys in Middletown, Gov. M. Jodi Rell is not only keeping the high-security facility open, but is more than doubling the number of children there. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: February 10, 2008
Document
Link: /issues/documents/familiesandchildren/htfd_courant_021008_1.asp
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Most convicted felons sooner or later re-enter society. How they re-enter should be a significant part of public dialogue. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: November 27, 2007
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_112707_1.asp
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Although we still lead the industrialized world in the rate at which we lock up young people, the youth confinement rate in the United States is rapidly declining. In 2010 this rate reached a new 35-year low, with almost every state confining a smaller share of its youth population than a decade earlier. This decline has not led to a surge in juvenile crime. This report highlights this positive trend and provide recommendations that can encourage its continuation. (PDF document, 4 pages) Published by
Annie E. Casey Foundation
; Publication Date: February 2013
Document
Link: /issues/wsd/FamiliesandChildren/DataSnapshotYouthIncarceration.pdf
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As state legislators prepared for a special session on criminal justice reforms, Republicans and Democrats were still battling over a "three strikes" law and struggling over how to create a new law against home invasions. The two sides have been clashing despite a show of bipartisan unity as they stood together in a joint appearance with Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell to call for reforms in the aftermath of the triple slayings last summer in Cheshire. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: January 21, 2008
Document
Link: /issues/documents/crime/htfd_courant_012108.asp
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The first in a three part series includes interviews with people who help female inmates transition from prison back into society. Published by
Capital Region Report, Jeff Cohen @ WNPR
; Publication Date: October 26, 2011
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/jcohen_102611.asp
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The second in a three part series presents an interview with a former inmate on the day of her release. Published by
Capital Region Report, Jeff Cohen @ WNPR
; Publication Date: October 26, 2011
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/jcohen_102611_1.asp
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The third in a three part series continues the story of a former inmate who does what she says she has to do to stay out of prison -- she packs up her things, gets on a train, and leaves. Published by
Capital Region Report, Jeff Cohen @ WNPR
; Publication Date: October 27, 2011
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/jcohen_102711.asp
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The Metropolitan District Commission�s upcoming $1.6 billion sewer separation project is designed to improve the water quality of the Greater Hartford region. Legislation proposed by State Senator Eric Coleman and State Representative Art Feltman is designed to provide that 18.75 percent of the small business contracts needed to implement the project be set-aside for minority-owned firms. The bill also specifies that 25 percent of those employed in the project must be minority persons and 5 percent must be ex-offenders who have completed their probation or parole. Published by
The Hartford News
; Publication Date: April 11 - 18, 2007
Document
Link: /issues/documents/Employment/htfd_news_041107.asp
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Jacqueline Caron, a Norwich alderwoman, is teaching others how to try to erase their criminal records by seeking pardons from the state Board of Pardons and Paroles. The focus on pardons comes as state lawmakers and Gov. M. Jodi Rell work to reduce the state's recidivism rate and Connecticut's burgeoning prison population. In recent years they have set aside funds to help former inmates find mental health treatment, housing, jobs and other basic services. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: January 8, 2007
Document
Link: /issues/documents/PrisonerRe-entry/htfd_courant_010807.asp
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The Democratic-controlled state legislature voted to override six of Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell's vetoes, making her one of the most overridden governors of the past 70 years. The six overrides � on top of seven last year and three in prior years � bring Rell's total to 16 overrides in six years as governor. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: June 22, 2010
Document
Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_062210.asp
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With several inmates in Connecticut serving more than 60 years for crimes committed as children, the question facing legislators is not whether they will change state laws in reaction to a U.S. Supreme Court decision barring mandatory life sentences for juveniles, but how far the change will go. Published by
CT Mirror
; Publication Date: March 12, 2013
Document
Link: /issues/documents/region/ct_mirror_031213.asp
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The 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) assessed the English literacy of incarcerated adults for the first time since 1992. The assessment was administered to approximately 1,200 inmates nationwide in state and federal prisons, as well as to approximately 18,000 adults living in households. This report presents the findings from the 2003 prison adult literacy assessment. (PDF document, 170 pages) Published by
National Center for Education Statistics
; Publication Date: May 2007
Document
Link: /issues/wsd/Literacy/Literacy_Behind_Bars.pdf
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Activists seek more help with substance abuse and job placement for those behind bars. Published by
The Hartford Advocate
; Publication Date: September 20
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_advocate_092007.asp
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Representatives from an array of state agencies met at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford recently for a summit to hash out a plan to create a bill of rights for children of incarcerated parents. In Hartford alone, an estimated 4,500 to 6,000 children - about one in every six children in the city - have at least one parent in a state prison. The very fact that no hard numbers exist and that the state is left to extrapolate estimates from national trends illustrates the need for local attention. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: November 16, 2006
Document
Link: /issues/documents/PrisonerRe-entry/htfd_courant_111606.asp
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About a third of the boys who left the state's juvenile correctional center in Middletown wound up back at the facility or in adult prisons in a matter of months, according to a recent review. Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and state Child Advocate Jeanne Milstein say the revolving-door problem shows that the Connecticut Juvenile Training School continues to fail its mission, and they are demanding answers from the state Department of Children and Families, which oversees the school. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: June 18, 2006
Document
Link: /issues/documents/familiesandchildren/htfd_courant_061806.asp
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The Reentry Mapping Network (RMN) is a partnership among community-based organizations and the Urban Institute designed to create community change through the mapping and analysis of neighborhood-level data related to prisoner reentry. RMN partners collect and analyze local data related to incarceration, reentry, and community well-being; develop policy options based on the findings; and document their accomplishments and lessons learned. This guidebook provides information on how to understand and address prisoner reentry at the community level through mapping and analysis. It describes the concepts and methods underlying the RMN so that other jurisdictions can learn from these experiences in the interests of crafting more effective and successful reentry strategies. (PDF file, 116 pages). Published by
The Urban Institute
; Publication Date: 2005
Document
Link: /issues/wsd/PrisonerRe-entry/Mapping_Prisoner_Reentry.pdf
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A legislative study two years ago found that 70 percent of released inmates were arrested for at least one new crime within three years. Estimates suggest that the state's criminal justice system mostly exists for one percent of the state's population - 30,000 to 35,000 people who keep rotating through the courts and prisons. The idea that education is one way to keep them from lapsing back into the criminal life after they've been released is discussed in this opinion. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: March 6, 2005
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_030605.asp
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One of Maya Angelou's poems provided motivation and affirmation in this young woman's journey. Published by
Northend Agent's
; Publication Date: June 06, 2012
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/northend_agents_060612.asp
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In this op-ed piece, the author expresses the opinion that Connecticut should build schools, not prisons. Each imprisoned generation, under our system of priorities, begets an even larger imprisoned generation. Today one out of six children in Hartford has a parent in prison. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: December 05, 2007
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_120507.asp
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Two years ago, the legislature, together with Gov. M. Jodi Rell, enacted a series of significant criminal justice reforms. Today, I can report mixed results. First, the good news: Frontline law enforcement personnel have focused their energy on repeat violent offenders and longer sentences are being imposed in our courts. Now, the disturbing news: Our state�s budget crisis has put many of the 2008 reforms at risk. Published by
The Hartford Business Journal
; Publication Date: January 18, 2010
Document
Link: /issues/documents/crime/hbj_011810.asp
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Rick Green is a columnist with a story that has evolved into a cause. He writes again about Tjayda T. Jones, an ex-offender trying to make a life on his own, with the dream of owning a hot dog cart. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: September 30, 2008
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_093008.asp
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Forty percent of incarcerated youth in the U.S. are held in long-term locked youth correction facilities, even though such institutions have never been found to reduce the criminality of troubled youth. This report provides recommendations for how to reduce juvenile incarceration. (PDF document, 52 pages) Published by
Annie E. Casey Foundation
; Publication Date: 2011
Document
Link: /issues/wsd/FamiliesandChildren/NoPlaceForKids_Full.pdf
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A new Connecticut law no longer requires a convicted felon to reveal their history to prospective public employers. Lawmakers passed a bill to prohibit public agencies in Connecticut from including a check box about convictions on initial employment applications, and to make it more difficult for a job candidate to be rejected solely on the basis of his or her felony record. Published by
The Hartford Advocate
; Publication Date: July 08, 2010
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_advocate_070810.asp
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The prison population in Connecticut and the nation reached an all-time high in January, 2008, reflecting the quandary many states face of maintaining public safety while managing overcrowded prisons in a $50 billion-a-year system. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: February 29, 2008
Document
Link: /issues/documents/crime/htfd_courant_022908.asp
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Rick Green expresses the opinion that drug treatment programs, a safe place to live and counseling, as for example from Community Partners in Action, can reduce the recidivism rate of ex-offenders. Since 2003, the Connecticut Department of Corrections has nearly doubled spending on programs working with former inmates re-entering society. Among Connecticut inmates released into a halfway house with counseling, the recidivism rate had dropped from 47 percent to 24 percent, a recent study showed. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: June 5, 2007
Document
Link: /issues/documents/PrisonerRe-entry/htfd_courant_060507.asp
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Rick Green writes about Tjayda T. Jones, a recently released inmate with a felony record. Together they visited the Goodwin Branch of the Hartford Public Library, where there is free internet access available to use to set up an email account and apply for job. In the re-entry of prisoners into the community, the first six months out of jail are critical. Someone with stable housing, a job to go to, and whose substance abuse needs are addressed is less likely to get re-arrested. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: July 04, 2008
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_070408.asp
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A new law that took effect July 1 aims to prevent current inmates from facing a return to the streets without any money when they are released. It mandates savings and establishes a savings account for each inmate to build up a nest egg to take upon release. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: July 7, 2007
Document
Link: /issues/documents//PrisonerRe-entry/htfd_courant_070707.asp
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Theresa C. Lantz, Connecticut correction commissioner, has retooled the correction system from one that emphasized incarceration to one that prepares inmates to return to their communities. That approach was endorsed by a report released recently by the nonprofit Pew Center on the States at a time when one in 31 adults in the country is in prison, on parole or on probation. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: March 03, 2009
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_030309.asp
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Connecticut is granting more pardons than ever for those committing nonviolent crimes. Published by
The Hartford Advocate
; Publication Date: June 02, 2009
Document
Link: /issues/documents/crime/htfd_advocate_060209.asp
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Just two days after signing a comprehensive criminal-justice bill, Gov. M. Jodi Rell said that she is ending her four-month ban on parole for violent criminals. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: January 28, 2008
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_012808.asp
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Scores of violent felons did not suddenly bolt through prison gates after Gov. M. Jodi Rell lifted her four-month ban on parole on Jan. 28, 2008. Instead, because of some new requirements and pre-existing strictures of parole, violent offenders required to serve at least 85 percent of a prison sentence will probably trickle back slowly into society, officials said. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: February 08, 2008
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_020808.asp
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Rick Green spent a day recently listening as a dozen men came up before the parole board. Three years since the horrific Cheshire murders � after which Connecticut�s entire parole process came under scrutiny � he wanted to see how things were working. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: March 23, 2010
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_032310.asp
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Two months after suspending the paroles of offenders serving time for violent crimes, Gov. M. Jodi Rell said recently she has no idea what reforms will satisfy her that the system is safe. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: November 27, 2007
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_112707.asp
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Gov. M. Jodi Rell's order to review the parole of every violent offender affects hundreds of parolees, including 60 murderers tracked by the state, correction department records show. As of two weeks ago, the state was tracking 3,762 convicts who were released early under a variety of programs overseen by the Department of Correction or the Board of Pardons and Paroles. State correction officials estimate that there are 600 to 800 parolees who were serving sentences for violent offenses. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: September 25, 2007
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_092507_1.asp
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An agency that for years has operated a residential program for troubled youths on Blue Hills Avenue is seeking permission to convert the facility for use as an adult halfway house. The proposal, by Windsor-based Community Solutions Inc., comes as the state Department of Correction continues to look for ways to increase adult residential placements as a means to combat recidivism and help reduce the bloated inmate population, which is again near levels reached earlier in the decade. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: December 28, 2006
Document
Link: /issues/documents/PrisonerRe-entry/htfd_courant_122806.asp
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The State Department of Correction has launched a program focusing on female inmates who are within 18 months of release. Female inmates prepare for the life on the outside at the Charlene Perkins Center at York Correctional Institution. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: June 5, 2005
Document
Link: /issues/documents/education/htfd_courant_060505.asp
Related Link(s):
Prisoner Reentry Institute John Jay College of Criminal Justice The City University of New York
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Money for halfway houses, parole staff and programs to help inmates be productive citizens are some of the programs in the $1.2 billion budget that Governor M. Jodi Rell has proposed for the Department of Correction for the next tow fiscal years. The head of the state's prison system says that these programs help prisoners re-enter society as healthy and successful citizens. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: February 23, 2005
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_022305.asp
Related Link(s):
Community Partners in Action
;
Budget Carries Bush Stamp
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Allan Atherton, president of the National Alliance on Mental Illness Connecticut, expresses the opinion that the recent controversy surrounding prison overcrowding in Connecticut has placed a spotlight on conditions for those with serious mental illnesses in the criminal justice system. All too often, people diagnosed with serious mental illnesses in prison have committed misdemeanors or nonviolent, low-level crimes because they have been forced to live on the streets because of the lack of supportive housing and treatment. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: October 29, 2007
Document
Link: /issues/documents/health/htfd_courant_102907.asp
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A Courant review found that since 1970, 15,255 inmates have walked away from halfway houses or bolted from their parole officers, and have been listed as "escaped" or "absconded" for some period of time. It could be hours. It could be years. A small number of them were let go from prison accidentally or never returned from a work furlough. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: February 11, 2012
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_021112.asp
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Artwork that depicts the hopes, dreams, pain and frustration of Connecticut inmates is being featured in an annual show of the Community Partners in Action Prison Arts Program. The collection is on display at the Jean J. Schensul Community Gallery at the Institute for Community Research on Wyllys Street. It features more than 100 paintings, drawings, sculpture and pottery. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: May 25, 2006
Document
Link: /issues/documents/artsandculture/htfd_courant_052506.asp
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In this op-ed piece, the author expresses the opinion that while Connecticut's General Assembly is considering some of the most comprehensive criminal justice reforms in a generation, it should consider the cost of violent crimes to the victims and to society. Effective criminal justice reform may cost money in the short run, but could very well be the best investment the legislature could make in the long run. Reductions in crime will reduce medical expenditures, mental health care costs and insurance rates. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: December 05, 2007
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_120507_1.asp
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With the release of a state Office of Policy and Management report that says 80 percent of our formerly incarcerated citizens are rearrested within five years, the connection between recidivism and poverty is becoming clear. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: April 20, 2012
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_042012.asp
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This report focuses on recidivism of Connecticut state inmates who are sex offenders. Included in those studies are offenders with previous sex offense convictions as well as convicted offenders who were originally charged as sex offenders but who were ultimately convicted of other offenses. Based on the analysis, post-release supervision focused on the high-risk sex offenders appears to be a cost-effective strategy to prevent crime. (PDF document, 50 pages) Published by
State of Connecticut Office of Policy and Management Criminal Justice Policy & Planning Division
; Publication Date: February 15, 2012
Document
Link: /issues/wsd/PrisonerRe-entry/sex_offender_recidivism_2012_final.pdf
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The Connecticut Legislative Program Review and Investigations Committee produced this report on Recidivism in Connecticut in 2001. The program review committee's analysis of recidivism rates provides the foundation for continued research of the state's offender population, crime rates, and sentencing patterns. Published by
Connecticut General Assembly, Legislative Program Review and Investigations Committee
; Publication Date: January 2001
Document
Link: /issues/wsd/crime/Issues/wsd/Crime/Recidivism.asp
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Connecticut's prison population hit an all-time high this year, but that wasn't the worst news. The real problem is who is in jail. Nearly 4,000 inmates have a diagnosis of mental illness. UConn law professor Robert Whitman knows there's a better and much less expensive way to treat many of the people struggling with mental health and addiction issues. Whitman is a driving force behind a form of community housing called by the acronym PATH, for People Advocating Therapeutic Homes. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: May 04, 2008
Document
Link: /issues/documents/region/htfd_courant_050408.asp
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Gov. M. Jodi Rell recently called for the overhaul of the state's complicated law for dangerous criminals, and she immediately received support from top Democrats in the wake of this week's New Britain double shooting. The state's current version of the "three strikes" law, which is known as the persistent felony offender law, needs to be rewritten in order for it to become workable, Rell said. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: April 04, 2008
Document
Link: /issues/documents/crime/htfd_courant_040408.asp
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Echoing a proposal by Democrats, Gov. M. Jodi Rell recently called for overhauling the state's persistent felony offender law � sharply increasing the chances of changes in the law before the legislative session ends next month. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: April 22, 2008
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_042208.asp
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Only hours after the legislature granted final approval on criminal justice reforms, Gov. M. Jodi Rell said that she will sign the comprehensive package that creates a new law against home invasion. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: January 24, 2008
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_012408.asp
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Legislation backed by State Representative Douglas McCrory, who represents Hartford in the Connecticut General Assembly, that eliminates the question on state job applications concerning past criminal convictions will become law effective October 1, 2010. Published by
Northend Agent's
; Publication Date: July 07, 2010
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/northend_agents_070710.asp
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Since fiscal year 2008, Central Connecticut State University�s Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy (IMRP) has been receiving annual funding from the Connecticut General Assembly to administer competitive grants to providers who serve children of incarcerated parents (CIP). State Rep. Douglas McCrory (7th Assembly District) along with other legislative leaders recently secured $1.4 million dollars in the General Assembly�s budget to continue the program through the 2011 fiscal year. Published by
Northend Agent's
; Publication Date: August 04, 2010
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/northend_agents_080410.asp
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Gov. M. Jodi Rell's order to ban parole for violent offenders in Connecticut has prompted the state Department of Correction to impose new restrictions on residents in halfway houses. The agency decided recently that the approximately 1,200 people who live in halfway houses will be allowed to leave only for work, treatment or religious services. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: September 24, 2007
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_092407.asp
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Recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions and new developments in psychology and brain science are prompting Connecticut to reconsider prison sentences for juveniles. The courts allow for a sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole for juvenile offenders, but juveniles in Connecticut can still receive mandatory sentences of life without parole in adult court. That discrepancy is why Judge Joseph Shortall, chairman of Connecticut Sentencing Commission, says it is time for the state to make some changes. The sentencing commission will hold a hearing on three proposals that address juvenile sentencing on Nov. 29. It expects to decide whether to recommend those proposals to state lawmakers on Dec. 20. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: November 12, 2012
Document
Link: /issues/documents/familiesandchildren/htfd_courant_111212.asp
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Governor Jodi Rell's ban on parole for violent offenders could make streets more dangerous according to ex-offender advocates. Published by
The Hartford Advocate
; Publication Date: October 11, 2007
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_advocate_101107.asp
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Former Gov. John G. Rowland gained a key approval recently toward becoming Waterbury's new economic development czar as the Waterbury Regional Chamber of Commerce voted to create the new post for him. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: January 26, 2008
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_012608.asp
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In the past decade, Connecticut made major juvenile justice reforms. Now the juvenile court caseload has dropped dramatically, and Connecticut locks up fewer children. An extensive review of the data shows that public safety has not suffered. In fact, the opposite is true. (PDF document, 14 pages Published by
Connecticut Juvenile Justice Alliance
; Publication Date: December 2010
Document
Link: /issues/wsd/Region/CTJJA_Safe_and_Sound.pdf
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Rick Green writes about an interesting question: Are we safer because of harsher state drug laws -- such as strict penalties for drug arrests near schools -- or are we just corralling more people and filling up prison cells with inmates who ought not to be living at taxpayers' expense? Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: November 18, 2010
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Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_111810.asp
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After one of the most emotional debates of the legislative session, the Senate voted to allow the early release of prison inmates for good behavior. Senators approved a bill that would ban early release for murder and five other violent crimes but allow it for a long list of crimes, including rape, arson and kidnapping. Mandatory minimum sentences would not be shortened. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: May 28, 2011
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Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_052811_1.asp
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Hartford�s outgoing state representative Marie Kirkley-Bey might have done at least one good thing this year: co-sponsoring House Bill 5546, an Act Concerning Sentence Modification for Juveniles. Published by
The Hartford News
; Publication Date: March 29, 2012
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Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_news_032912.asp
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Located at 40 Woodland St. in the city's Asylum Hill neighborhood, Clothes Makes the Man is a 17-month-old program of Positive Momentum, a Hartford-based nonprofit charitable organization. Its mission is to help low-income men re-enter the workforce by providing free clothing to wear on interviews or to work. Along with clothes, clients receive a packet with tips on grooming, hygiene and etiquette as well as job seeking advice and career development counseling. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: February 22, 2005
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Link: /issues/documents/neighborhoods/htfd_courant_022205.asp
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Joseph Cusano IV, an inmate at the Carl Robinson Correctional Institution in Enfield, writes that it is a bad idea to eliminate parole altogether for violent offenders as is being debated in the General Assembly after the recent Petit murders in Cheshire. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: December 02, 2007
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Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_120207.asp
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Two reports released recently establish Connecticut as a national leader in the trend to end the costly and counterproductive reliance on incarceration for youthful offenders. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: March 01, 2013
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Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_030113.asp
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It�s not easy to lobby lawmakers on behalf of prisoners , especially when the public is still reeling from the horrific crimes that took place in Cheshire this past summer. But that�s exactly what lobbyist Betty Gallo is doing on behalf of her clients � the American Civil Liberties Union, A Better Way Foundation and the Connecticut chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The groups are concerned that lawmakers are rushing to make decisions in the wake of tragedy, which will affect how reforms are established. Published by
The Hartford Business Journal
; Publication Date: January 14, 2008
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Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/hbj_011408.asp
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Once a state that poured tens of millions of dollars into its juvenile prison, Connecticut is now locking up far fewer children and beefing up community programs � with no uptick in serious, violent juvenile crime, a justice-system reform group reported recently. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: February 27, 2013
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Link: /issues/documents/familiesandchildren/htfd_courant_022713.asp
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A private study released this week by the Pew Charitable Trusts projects the nation's prison population will rise by 200,000 over the next five years. Connecticut and Delaware, however, were the only states where no growth is projected in the number of prisoners. Connecticut was lauded for an enlightened approach that focuses more on prison-diversion and substance-abuse-treatment programs and less on incarceration. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: February 17, 2007
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Link: /issues/documents/PrisonerRe-entry/htfd_courant_021707.asp
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The Connecticut Sentencing Commission recently weighed changes to sentencing policies for juveniles at a hearing. The hearing was marked by often emotional testimony from dozens of people who spoke about the power of redemption and the need for fresh starts. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: November 29, 2012
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Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_112912.asp
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State Representative Douglas McCrory suggests that cutting programs for children of Incarcerated Parents, as Governor Rell has proposed, is shortsighted. The program provides support for children, most of whom are under the age of 10, and aims at stemming the tide of generational incarceration. Children with incarcerated parents are six times more likely than other children to be incarcerated as adults. Published by
Northend Agent's
; Publication Date: March 03, 2010
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Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/northend_agents_030310.asp
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Connecticut locks up fewer children than it did just a decade ago. But are we safer? The provocative answer is that not only is juvenile crime down, but we're saving money. A new analysis by the Connecticut Juvenile Justice Alliance reveals that efforts to help young offenders without incarcerating them may be making a significant difference. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: December 17, 2010
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Link: /issues/documents/familiesandchildren/htfd_courant_121710.asp
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Seventeen thousand Connecticut children have a parent in prison. One study says the children of inmates are seven times as likely to follow their parents� footsteps as children whose parents avoid crime. Another study says having a parent in jail doubles the chances of a child being homeless, if only temporarily. Programs for these children are important in preventing these outcomes. Gov. M. Jodi Rell�s proposed budget cuts programs for children of the incarcerated by $1.4 million over the next two fiscal years. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: September 06, 2009
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Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_090609.asp
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Ten years after a study first showed that a disproportionate number of minority youth were being locked up in Connecticut detention centers, the state legislature has yet to take decisive action to fix the problem, according to critics and advocates. Many advocates and legislators are supporting a proposed bill that lays out aggressive steps to address the problem over the next several years. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: April 5, 2005
Document
Link: /issues/documents/familiesandchildren/htfd_courant_040505.asp
Related Link(s):
Community Partners in Action
;
Prison Chief Backs Budget
;
New England Juvenile Defender's Center - Connecticut
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Once a state with one of the fastest-growing prison populations, Connecticut is now one of three states projected to maintain the same number of inmates through 2011, according to a study released recently by the Pew Charitable Trusts. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: February 15, 2007
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Link: /issues/documents/Neighborhoods/htfd_courant_021507.asp
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Despite the annual investment that now surpasses $50 billion, the nation's prisons are not doing a good job of deterring prisoners from a life of crime. More than 4 in 10 released inmates are returned to prison within three years, according to a major study released recently by the Pew Center on the States. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: April 18, 2011
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_041811.asp
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Hartford Fatherhood Initiative, run by the Capitol Region Conference of Churches, tutors dads absent from the home, often because of incarceration, on how to become better fathers and establish a healthier rapport with their child's mother. Fifty dads came to South Congregational Church in Hartford reconnecting with their children for the holidays. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: December 15, 2007
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_121507.asp
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The Lost Found School of Thought, Inc. today offers career counseling, homemaking and basic skills training and entrepreneurial instruction to persons having difficulty throughout the Hartford region. It was founded as a program that could reduce Osborn Correctional Institution recidivism rate for ex-offenders. Published by
The Hartford News
; Publication Date: April 16, 2009
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_news_041609.asp
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Efrain "Smokey" Nazario, a 38-year-old career criminal was fatally wounded on Jan 13, 2008, following an altercation in Hartford's South End. After a party early Sunday, Iran said, Efrain died intervening in someone else's "beef." Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: January 19, 2008
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Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_011908.asp
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A team of parents, advocates and state legislators is making a push this session to keep Connecticut's teenagers under the age of 18 out of the adult criminal justice system. Connecticut is one of only three states that automatically try and incarcerate teenagers 16 and older as adults, no matter how minor the offense. The majority of the country considers 18 the age of adulthood, although children under 18 can be sentenced to adult prison for certain crimes. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: February 21, 2006
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Link: /issues/documents/FamiliesAndChildren/htfd_courant_022106_a.asp
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Connecticut locks up more minors in adult prisons than any other state in the nation, increasing the likelihood that those teens will be repeat offenders and increasing their risk of abuse, depression and untreated mental illness, says a recently released national report. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: March 22, 2007
Document
Link: /issues/documents/PrisonerRe-entry/htfd_courant_032207.asp
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In the 1980s, the number of people sent to prison or supervised on probation and parole in the United States began growing substantially. Not surprisingly, the overall cost of corrections increased as well. But an unexpected about-face during current fiscal crisis has spurred lawmakers to reconsider who is punished and how. High recidivism rates among formerly incarcerated people have caused reevaluation of existing policies. Research-based responses that keep offenders in the community�whether through drug and other problem-solving courts or intermediate, targeted sanctions for parole violators�have been shown to maintain or enhance public safety at less expense. (PDF document, 24 pages) Published by
Vera Institute of Justice
; Publication Date: October 2010
Document
Link: /issues/wsd/PrisonerRe-entry/Fiscal-crisis-in-corrections10-10.pdf
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Governor Rell is gunning for three-strikes laws in Connecticut, but a recent study suggests similar laws have had mixed results in other states. Published by
The Hartford Advocate
; Publication Date: April 17, 2008
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Link: /issues/documents/crime/htfd_advocate_041708.asp
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In a city with 36,000 children, as many as 6,000 - one in every six - have at least one parent in prison, according to Hartford-based Families in Crisis, an organization that helps families of prisoners. Among children in the Hartford area under the care of the state Department of Children and Families, a staggering 40 percent are estimated to have a parent in prison, on parole or recently released. The story of adults behind bars is about far more than numbers, it's intricately linked to the story of the children they leave behind. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: November 12, 2006
Document
Link: /issues/documents/PrisonerRe-entry/htfd_courant_111206.asp
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Kelvin Moore and Devone Pollard met at the intersection between physical fitness and nutrition. Both are personal trainers and while working out one day they struck up a conversation about life in general and what their goals were. Published by
Northend Agent's
; Publication Date: December 31, 2008
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/northend_agents_123108.asp
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Connecticut lawmakers are seeking to reduce the prison population because cost has become a major driver in criminal justice policy. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: May 15, 2011
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_051511.asp
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Stan Simpson comments on Gov. M. Jodi Rell�s plans as she promotes her get-tough-on-crime agenda Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: February 16, 2008
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_021608.asp
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In Connecticut, there is an ongoing debate over when and how often convicted prisoners should be allowed to exercise the constitutionally guaranteed right of habeas corpus. Published by
The Hartford Advocate
; Publication Date: May 18, 2010
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_advocate_051810.asp
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A move to sentence violent criminals to life in prison after a third offense hit a snag recently, despite calls for tougher sentencing laws from the family of a woman who was killed along with her two daughters during a home invasion in Cheshire last year. The legislation died in the judiciary committee on a 25-16 vote, but Republicans vowed to keep pushing for a mandatory minimum sentencing bill for dangerous, repeat offenders during the current legislative session. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: March 20, 2008
Document
Link: /issues/documents/crime/htfd_courant_032008.asp
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The more engaged in society former inmates are � taking classes and working at a job, paying rent and taking care of their families � the less likely they are to commit more crimes. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: November 30, 2007
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_113007.asp
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Six months after the triple slaying in Cheshire, the state House of Representatives approved comprehensive reforms to the state's criminal laws recently, including a new crime of "home invasion'' for anyone who breaks into an occupied home. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: January 23, 2008
Document
Link: /issues/documents/crime/htfd_courant_012308.asp
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ACTIONS stands for Active Community Transitions in Our Neighborhoods and Schools. New to the Hartford school district this fall, it is the latest weapon in the never-ending battle to keep at-risk kids out of trouble and in school. Patterned after several nationally acclaimed programs in places such as Milwaukee, Wis., ACTIONS offers kids coming out of the juvenile justice system intense "wraparound" services that include tracking, mentoring, tutoring, life-skills, substance abuse counseling, job training and family advocacy. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: October 2, 2006
Document
Link: /issues/documents/FamiliesandChildren/htfd_courant_100206.asp
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Two recent reports offer a bad-news, good-news incentive for prison reform. The first says prisons cost way more than we think they do. The second says we shouldn't put as many people in them as we do. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: February 02, 2012
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_020212.asp
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This Courant editorial expresses the opinion that the Gov. M. Jodi Rell's temporary ban on parole for violent offenders is a smart move that gives the state breathing space to consider the troubled parole system over the next month. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: September 25, 2007
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_092507_2.asp
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For years, GoodWorks has functioned under the radar � a nonprofit organization funded mostly by private sponsors and year-round fundraisers. Its services include transitional living for a handful of women, weekly meetings, workshops and mentoring. Women are referred here from York Correctional and other recovery programs, though increasingly by word of mouth. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: September 06, 2009
Document
Link: /issues/documents/region/htfd_courant_090609_2.asp
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Rick Green writes about Tjayda Jones, whom he met shortly before his release from prison in the spring of 2008. Green was taken with this dream of middle-age redemption: Felon gets out, buys a hot dog cart and lives a clean life. Plenty of readers will not be surprised - a 42-year-old career offender fails to live up to the hot dog cart dream that a naive columnist writes about it Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: December 26, 2008
Document
Link: /issues/documents/prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_122608.asp
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Modeled after a similar initiative in San Francisco, Fresh Coat LLC, a Bridgeport-based nonprofit painting and moving company, is an ideal business for ex-convicts, with its low barrier for entry and minimal start-up costs, allowing inmates to circumvent more restrictive mainstream job application processes, experts say. Published by
The Hartford Courant
; Publication Date: March 28, 2008
Document
Link: /issues/documents/PrisonerRe-entry/htfd_courant_032808.asp
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A panel of experts on the state�s parole system came to speak recently at a meeting of the Maple Avenue Revitalization Group (MARG), but most of the interesting ideas came from local residents who spoke out at the discussion. Published by
The Hartford News
; Publication Date: November 15 - 22, 2006
Document
Link: /issues/documents/PrisonerRe-entry/htfd_news_111506.asp
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