CT Prison Population Down 16 Percent: Report

CONNECTICUT — The states incarcerated offender population has dropped by more than 2,000 or slightly more than 16 percent since March 1, according to new data from the state Department of Correction. As of Tuesday morning, the offender population stood at 10,400 the lowest number in more than 29 years, the report says.

According to data compiled by the Prison Policy Initiative, Connecticut currently has had the sixth-largest correction population decrease since the start of the COVID-19 public health emergency among 40 other states and the federal system.

Several factors have contributed to the drop in the number of incarcerated individuals, according to a news release from the DoC. The Department cites specifically cites the discretionary release of low risk offenders, with stable home plans, and those offenders who are at least 60 years old or who have health conditions making them more susceptible to catching the virus, all carefully vetted through the reentry planning process.

The Department's efforts to expedite releases resulted in a 51 percent increase in discretionary releases for people with six months or more left on their sentence, when comparing April 2020 to April 2019.

Additionally, in an effort to expand release options, Commissioner Rollin Cook signed a policy exception in early April authorizing furloughs up to 45-days for offenders serving sentences of two years or less. Eligible and suitable offenders in this DOC category, absent any victim impact, are considered for release after serving 40 percent of their sentence.

As a result, a total of 560 offenders were granted discretionary release for the month of May alone. This number does not include those offenders who were released at the end of their sentences.

"It is essential that we continue to release offenders in a responsible and systematic manner, making sure whenever possible that they have places to live and access to the services they need," Cook said. "The impressive and substantial decrease in our population speaks volumes about the caliber and hard work of our staff, as well as that of our partners in the criminal justice community."