Willard Correctional Institution In Enfield to Close By April 1

ENFIELD, CT — Another prison in northern Connecticut will soon be shuttering, as Gov. Ned Lamont on Tuesday announced his administration has developed plans with the leadership of the Connecticut Department of Correction to close the Willard Correctional Institution by April 1.

The decision to close the facility is attributed to the sustained decrease in the state’s correction population over the last decade, as well as a continued commitment to operate government more cost-effectively. Closing the facility will save taxpayers approximately $6.5 million in annual operating costs and focus correction resources more efficiently on the current population, according to a news release from the governor's office.

From 2012 to 2022, Connecticut’s correction population decreased 44 percent, while the state's violent crime rate fell by 43 percent and its property crime rate dropped 29 percent. In the most recent year of available data, Connecticut’s violent crime rate was less than half the U.S. rate, according to the release.

"Because spending millions annually to operate facilities for a population that is significantly smaller than just a few years ago is not a good use of taxpayer money, Connecticut is continuing to right-size its correction system to concentrate resources more effectively," Lamont said in a written statement. "I applaud Commissioner Quiros, along with all of the correctional professionals at the Department of Correction, for their tireless efforts to keep the facilities secure and our communities safe."

The Willard facility opened in 1990 as a level 2 facility for sentenced male offenders. There are about 260 inmates currently at the facility; over the coming weeks, its remaining population will be methodically transferred to other appropriate facilities within the state’s correctional system. Safety and security will remain the primary consideration of the DOC when deciding where the population will be moved, according to the release.

About 71 correctional professionals consisting of a variety of job duties currently staff the facility, but its closure will result in no layoffs. Over the coming months, the DOC will work closely with these staff members and their union representatives to redeploy them to other facilities in close proximity to Willard, which will help reduce overtime expenses in other prisons and fill vacant positions.

"There is a great deal of work that goes into closing a correctional facility," DOC Commissioner Angel Quiros said in a written statement. "From the staff to the incarcerated population, there are a lot of moving parts. Thanks to the professionalism of our staff, I have no doubt that the job will get done in a methodical and seamless manner, just as we did with the Radgowski and Northern facilities."

State Sen. John Kissel said, "The closure will not reduce Enfield’s PILOT funding, which is positive news. In addition, it is also positive news that employees at the facility will not lose their jobs but instead be redeployed in the system. We continue to have a good working relationship with the Department of Correction, and I think this is something we can all get behind."

"Willard's closure comes at a time when its inmate population is slightly above half of its capacity, so it makes sense from a fiscal standpoint that if we're not utilizing the whole facility to consolidate it and save the state some money," Rep. Carol Hall said. "I'm pleased to hear that after speaking with DOC Commissioner Angel Quiros the correctional officers currently employed there will not be laid off and will be relocated to a facility of their choosing."

Willard will become the latest correctional facility in the state to close in recent years as the incarcerated population has declined. The most recent closures include the Radgowski Correctional Center in Montville in Oct. 2021, and the Northern Correctional Institution in Somers in June 2021.