© 2024 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY · WNPR
WPKT · WRLI-FM · WEDW-FM · Public Files Contact
ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Early Release of Thousands of Federal Prisoners Includes 32 From Connecticut

Photo of a concrete fenced-in prison yard.
Todd Lapin
/
Creative Commons
The release is said to target inmates who were hit with harsh sentences.

Inmates from Connecticut are among those expected to be released from federal prisons at the end of October, part of the largest one-time release of federal prisoners in the nation's history. 

The Connecticut Mirror reported that 32 prisoners from Connecticut will be among those set free.

From the report:

The prisoners regaining their freedom are the first wave of an effort to reduce overcrowded prison populations and scale back harsh sentences given to drug offenders in the past few decades.
The group of 32 inmates from Connecticut does not include an additional unknown number of criminal aliens arrested in the state who will also leave federal prisons -- to be deported. It is also not known how many of the Connecticut inmates being released will be from the state's only federal prison in Danbury.

Maurice Chammah is with the Marshall Project, a non-profit news site focused on criminal justice issues. He was a guest on the “PBS NewsHour.”

Maurice Chammah speaks about the federal prisoner release on the "PBS NewsHour."
Credit PBS
/
PBS
Maurice Chammah speaks about the federal prisoner release on the "PBS NewsHour."

“These are all, according to the Department of Justice, low-level and non-violent drug offenders who went into the system a number of years ago,” Chammah said on the show. “And then, a year ago, the U.S. Sentencing Commission, which is an independent judicial organization, set new sentencing guidelines, and made those retroactive, which meant that prisoners who were serving time for drug crimes in the federal system could apply for new sentences to have their sentences reduced under the new guidelines.”

Watch the segment below:

Chammah said the upcoming release is part of a broader push that will target inmates who were hit with harsh sentences, and relieve overcrowded prisons.

“They’re all coming at one time as sort of the first wave of this,” Chammah said. “Then over the next year, a little over 8,000 prisoners stand to also be released. In total, it’s been estimated that over 40,000 will be released.”

According to the Marshall Project, most of the prisoners to be released are black and Hispanic men. Their average age is mid-30s.

Most will likely be returning to southern states, with Texas expected to receive the largest number of released inmates. 

Diane Orson is a special correspondent with Connecticut Public. She is a longtime reporter and contributor to National Public Radio. Her stories have been heard on Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Weekend Edition and Here And Now. Diane spent seven years as CT Public Radio's local host for Morning Edition.

Stand up for civility

This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Public’s Members — listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. As a community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years.

Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are building a better—and more civil—Connecticut to live, work, and play.

Related Content