prisons

As part of our Reports From Recovery series, today we’re hearing from two women whose heroin addictions shook up their lives, and put them right up close to the edge of existence.

Northern Correctional Institution, the state’s controversial “supermax” prison located in Somers, will close by July 1, the Department of Correction announced to its staff on Monday.

While still just a law student, Brittany K. Barnett met Sharanda Jones, a single mother, business owner and a woman serving a life sentence without parole for a first time drug offense.

As COVID-19 drags on and advocates continue to pressure state officials to release people from prisons and jails, the Board of Pardons and Paroles has a tool that, in the words of the U.S. Supreme Court, gives them “unfettered discretion” to commute a person’s sentence and shorten the length of time spent behind bars.

How is the Department of Correction preparing for the next wave of the coronavirus? How are prisons working to contain the spread of the virus amongst Connecticut's prison population? 

This hour, newly appointed DOC Commissioner designate Angel Quiros joins us to answer our questions and yours. 

As a teenager, Albert Woodfox had his first encounter with the criminal justice system. After being sentenced to prison for robbery, he would go on to spend more than 40 years of his life in solitary confinement.

Woodfox is the recipient of the 2020 Stowe Prize, which is awarded to books that illuminate a critical social justice issue in our society.

We hear about his experience surviving solitary in the Louisiana State Penitentiary—known as Angola—one of the nation’s most notorious prisons.

Tianna Laboy spent nearly 30 days at an inpatient mental health treatment program before she was admitted to York Correctional Institution in August 2017. When she arrived at the Niantic prison, officials put her in the mental health infirmary.

State lawmakers in Connecticut’s House of Representatives have passed a major police accountability bill in the middle of a national conversation about police violence and racism.

This hour, we check in with CT Mirror reporter, Kelan Lyons to learn more, as the bill heads to the state Senate this week.

Over the objections of more than 400 inmates, a U.S. district court judge approved an agreement this week between the ACLU of Connecticut and the state on a class-action lawsuit filed to protect the incarcerated population from COVID-19.

A year-long shortage of nurses at the Osborn Correctional Institution in Somers has become an even more pressing problem with the onset of COVID-19, the union representing the nursing staff says.

Department of Correction Commissioner Rollin Cook has resigned from his post effective July 1, citing family obligations in Utah.

Cook announced his resignation in a heartfelt internal memo Friday.

The ACLU of Connecticut has reached an agreement with the state over its COVID-19 lawsuit filed to protect incarcerated people from the virus.

A prison-rights advocate confronted Gov. Ned Lamont at an outdoor news conference Wednesday, accusing the governor of indifference to the health of prison inmates during the COVID-19 pandemic, not long after the Department of Correction announced that a seventh inmate has died from the disease.

With just a handful of days to go until the state begins to formally, reopen, testing for coronavirus continues to be a major focal point -- and, on Saturday, the state saw a testing surge. 

The Department of Correction placed Osborn Correctional Institution on lockdown Friday after 105 asymptomatic inmates tested positive for COVID-19.

Citing a “once-in-a-century public health crisis,” a U.S. District Court judge has ordered prison officials at the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury to speed up the release of inmates to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Attorneys from a Stamford law firm, Quinnipiac University School of Law and Yale Law School filed a class-action federal lawsuit Monday night to force authorities to take emergency measures to protect the more than 1,000 men and women incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury.

A state judge issued a ruling late Friday night dismissing the ACLU of Connecticut’s lawsuit to remove incarcerated people from correctional facilities to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

With over 500 inmates and staff testing positive for COVID-19, there’s concern that people in Connecticut prisons are at high risk.

One 80-year-old man incarcerated in a medium-security prison had a lawsuit filed on his behalf to get immediate release.

An incarcerated person died from COVID-19 on Monday, the first Connecticut inmate to succumb to the virus as the numbers of positive cases behind bars continued to spike.

In an attempt to limit the spread of COVID-19 in the state’s prisons and jails, the Department of Correction will house all infected inmates at four facilities: Manson Youth Institution or Northern, York or Garner Correctional Institutions.

This hour, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont is calling in to give us the latest on the state’s response to coronavirus

This story was updated at 1:32 p.m. with a comment from the Lamont administration. 

The ACLU of Connecticut has filed a lawsuit to force Gov. Ned Lamont and Department of Correction Commissioner Rollin Cook to reduce the number of people incarcerated in Connecticut prisons and jails.

It is impossible to practice social distancing in a prison. Accordingly, authorities in New Jersey, Ohio, Texas, New York and at least 12 other states have sent home people incarcerated for less serious offenses so they would not be exposed to an inevitable outbreak.

What challenges do people with criminal records face when re-entering society? What is Connecticut doing to help prior offenders reintegrate? 

This hour: we discuss challenges faced after leaving prison. This includes finding gainful employment, getting an education and even finding a place to live.