Family Rights and Advocacy in Connecticut | InmateAid
Connecticut made history in 2021 with a law that took effect July 1, 2022: all communications from Connecticut state correctional facilities are **free**. Not just phone calls. Phone calls, emails, and video calls -- all free. Connecticut was the first state in the country to eliminate costs for all types of prison communications, not just audio.
The platform is **Securus Technologies**. Even with free calls, set up a Securus account to manage approved phone numbers. CT DOC main: **860-692-7480**.
One active issue for Connecticut families: in April 2025, the state considered cutting free e-messaging from the budget. Criminal justice attorney Alex Taubes said it plainly: "It's ultimately the family members of people who are incarcerated, who want to keep in touch with their loved ones, who end up spending the most money." As of this writing, verify the current status of free e-messaging at ct.gov/doc or through the ACLU of Connecticut.
Connecticut also did something significant on solitary confinement: a law effective July 1, 2022 severely restricted its use in CT prisons and jails. That same law created an **Ombudsman position** within CT DOC -- selected from candidates nominated by advocacy organizations -- giving families an independent oversight contact inside the department.
Connecticut has a structural feature unique in this series: it abolished county government. CT DOC operates every correctional facility in the state -- from pretrial detention to maximum security prisons. There are no separate county jail systems. If your loved one was recently arrested in Hartford or New Haven, they are in a CT DOC facility, not a county jail.
This article maps what exists, what your rights are, and who to call.
What Families Are Facing in Connecticut
CT DOC operates facilities across the state. Major facilities:
- **Northern Correctional Institution** (Somers, Tolland County) -- high security
- **MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution** (Suffield, Hartford County)
- **Cheshire Correctional Institution** (Cheshire, New Haven County)
- **Garner Correctional Institution** (Newtown, Fairfield County) -- mental health
- **York Correctional Institution** (Niantic, New London County) -- primary women's facility
- **Hartford Correctional Center** (Hartford, Hartford County -- 177 Weston Street, main line 959-200-3000)
Connecticut is small -- most facilities are within 1-2 hours of Hartford. The geographic challenges here are less about distance and more about navigating the system itself.
CT DOC uses a security **levels system**: Level 1 (lowest) through Level 5 (maximum security). A person's level determines their programming access. Key point: correctional staff cannot tell you your loved one's level. That information is confidential. The incarcerated person can tell you themselves.
Medical records are confidential. You cannot receive any health information about your incarcerated loved one unless they have signed a written release of information authorizing you. Exception: parents and legal guardians of incarcerated minors may receive health information without a release.
On phone and communications: Securus is the CT DOC vendor. All audio calls, emails, and video calls are free as of July 1, 2022. Calls are recorded and monitored except legal calls. Three-way calls, call forwarding, and recording apps on your end are blocked and can result in restrictions.
On money: Send funds through the Inmate Trust Fund (ITF). Accepted forms: certified check, cashier's check, attorney check, employer check, refund check, social security check, tax refund, unemployment check, or veteran's administration check -- sent by U.S. mail only. No cash. No personal checks. Make the check payable to the inmate; include their full name, inmate number, date of birth, and your full name and address.
Inmate Trust Fund
P.O. Box 290800
Wethersfield, CT 06129-0800
Your Rights as a Family Member in Connecticut
Visitation rights
Visitation requires being on the approved visitor list. Your loved one must work with their counselor to establish the visiting list. CT DOC's Family and Friends Handbook (available at ct.gov/doc) covers visiting procedures for each facility type.
Immediate family as defined by CT DOC includes: mother, father, brother, sister, child, grandparents, and legally married spouse. Visiting schedules vary by facility.
Emergency/home visit furloughs are available for seriously ill immediate family members -- if you have an immediate family member who is so seriously ill that they cannot travel to the facility to visit, your loved one may be eligible for an emergency home visit. Contact the facility Warden (Unit Administrator).
Communication rights
All audio calls, emails, and video calls are free as of July 1, 2022 under Connecticut law. Your loved one must add your number to their approved list through the Securus system. Set up a Securus account to manage approved numbers and optional paid features. CT DOC main: 860-692-7480.
If the free e-messaging has been altered by budget action since April 2025, verify current status at ct.gov/doc or through the ACLU of Connecticut.
Notification rights
CT DOC notifies next of kin for serious medical emergencies and deaths -- your loved one must have designated you in their records. You cannot receive medical information without their signed release. CT DOC is not required to notify family of transfers; use the CT DOC inmate search at ct.gov/doc to track current location.
Grievance rights
Internal CT DOC grievances must be filed by the incarcerated person. Family members cannot file internal grievances on their behalf.
External pathways for families:
1. **CT DOC Ombudsman** -- created by the 2022 solitary confinement reform law; an independent oversight position within DOC nominated by advocacy organizations. Contact through ct.gov/doc.
2. **CT DOC main line**: 860-692-7480 for general inquiries.
3. **CT DOC Inspector General** -- named in the ACLU CT 2025 newsletter as a position under active search; verify current contact through ct.gov/doc.
4. **ACLU of Connecticut**: acluct.org for systemic issues.
5. **Your Connecticut state legislators**: cga.ct.gov.
CT DOC Ombudsman: The Independent Internal Oversight
Connecticut's 2022 law restricting solitary confinement created an Ombudsman position within CT DOC that is independent of facility management. The Ombudsman is selected from candidates nominated by advocacy organizations -- not appointed internally by DOC leadership.
This structure is meaningful: it gives the Ombudsman independence from the department they oversee. The Ombudsman provides families and incarcerated people with an internal complaint pathway that is not simply routing complaints back to the same administration that created the problem.
Contact information for the current Ombudsman: verify through ct.gov/doc. The ACLU of Connecticut has been advocating for the Ombudsman position to be permanently and fully funded; contact acluct.org for the most current status.
Connecticut Family Advocacy Organizations
ACLU of Connecticut / Smart Justice Connecticut
acluct.org
765 Asylum Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105
Phone: 860-523-9146
The ACLU of Connecticut is the most active prisoner rights organization in the state. Their Smart Justice CT campaign has two goals: cut Connecticut's jail and prison population by 50% and end racial disparities in the criminal justice system.
What they have been doing (2025):
- Advocating for full funding of the permanent CT DOC prison Ombudsman
- Involved in the search for a new Inspector General
- Opposing budget cuts to free prison communications
- Advocating for housing access for people with criminal records
- Alongside the CT Domestic Violence Survivors' Justice Act Coalition
Contact acluct.org for resources, legal information, and to report issues that may have systemic scope.
Stop Solitary CT
stopsolidarityct.org (verify current URL)
The advocacy organization behind Connecticut's 2022 law restricting solitary confinement. Named in the ACLU CT's 2025 newsletter as a partner in advocacy for the fully funded permanent prison Ombudsman. If your loved one is in restricted housing that you believe violates the 2022 law's limitations, Stop Solitary CT is the advocacy contact.
Connecticut Justice Alliance (CTJA)
Part of the CT Reentry Community coalition; advocacy for criminal justice reform. ctreentry.org for information on CT advocacy organizations.
Community Partners in Action (CPA)
cpa-ct.org
Hartford and Waterbury Reentry Welcome Centers
Phone: (verify through cpa-ct.org)
CPA is a member of the Criminal Justice Policy Advisory Commission and the CT Justice Alliance. While primarily focused on reentry services, CPA also does advocacy and policy work. Their Reentry Welcome Centers in Hartford and Waterbury serve people upon release. For families preparing for a loved one's release, CPA is the contact.
211 Connecticut
Dial 2-1-1 from any phone
uwc.211ct.org
United Way of Connecticut's 211 system provides statewide resource referrals including family support services for people with incarcerated loved ones. For families who do not know where to start, 2-1-1 connects to local services.
Family ReEntry (formerly Bridgeport Community Services)
familyreentry.org
Bridgeport area; provides family support services for people with incarcerated relatives; counseling, case management, children's programs.
Children with Incarcerated Parents (CIP) Initiative
Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy, Central Connecticut State University
Provides research, resources, and an FAQ booklet for incarcerated parents, caregivers, and children. The booklet was created with CT DOC participation and includes questions from directly impacted families. Find at CCSU or through ctreentry.org/resources/family-supports.
Prisoner Rights Organizations Families Can Contact on Their Loved One's Behalf
ACLU of Connecticut
acluct.org | 860-523-9146
The ACLU of CT handles prisoner rights litigation and advocacy including conditions of confinement, solitary confinement enforcement, communications access, and reentry barriers. They do not take individual grievance cases routinely. Contact them when the issue involves a pattern of rights violations or a systemic problem affecting multiple people.
Connecticut Legal Services / New Haven Legal Assistance / Legal Aid Society of Hartford
Statewide civil legal aid organizations providing free legal services to income-eligible Connecticut residents. For civil matters related to incarceration:
- Connecticut Legal Services (CLS): connlegalservices.org
- New Haven Legal Assistance Association (NHLAA): nhlaa.org
- Legal Aid Society of Hartford County: 860-541-5000
These organizations provide referrals and free civil legal help. They are not prisoner rights litigators, but they can assist with civil matters arising from incarceration (family law, housing, benefits) and may refer to appropriate prisoner rights resources.
Human Rights Defense Center (HRDC)
humanrightsdefensecenter.org
Phone (for family members): 561-360-2523
HRDC has been directly involved in Connecticut communications cost advocacy. If the state has reduced the scope of free communications, HRDC's Prison Phone Justice project is the national organization tracking and fighting these cuts. Family members can contact directly.
Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM)
famm.org
National network including Connecticut members. For families with loved ones serving excessive mandatory sentences.
How to File a Complaint on Your Loved One's Behalf
Step 1: Document everything specific
Date, facility, staff name if known, what happened. Specific documentation carries weight.
Step 2: CT DOC Ombudsman
The independent Ombudsman is the first external complaint pathway inside CT DOC for conditions, treatment, and rights violations. Contact through ct.gov/doc.
Step 3: CT DOC main line
860-692-7480. For general inquiries and concerns that do not rise to Ombudsman level.
Step 4: CT DOC Inspector General
For serious misconduct and abuse. Contact through ct.gov/doc (verify current contact -- Inspector General position was under active search as of the 2025 ACLU newsletter).
Step 5: Contact your Connecticut state legislators
State senator and state representative have oversight authority. Find legislators at cga.ct.gov. Connecticut's legislature has been active on prison reform (free communications law, solitary restrictions, Ombudsman creation). Constituent calls matter.
Step 6: Contact advocacy organizations
ACLU of Connecticut (860-523-9146), Stop Solitary CT, or CPA for guidance on whether the situation warrants legal or advocacy intervention.
Step 7: Federal escalation
For civil rights violations: U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division (justice.gov/crt). For federal facilities in Connecticut: BOP Northeast Region.
What families cannot compel: You cannot file an internal CT DOC grievance for your loved one. You cannot receive medical information without their signed release. External organizations can advocate and investigate but cannot guarantee outcomes.
Staying Connected: The Practical Guide for Connecticut Families
Phone, email, and video calls
All FREE as of July 1, 2022 under Connecticut law.
Platform: Securus Technologies. Set up a Securus account to manage approved numbers and access optional paid features. CT DOC main: 860-692-7480.
Calls are 15-20 minutes per session (facility policies cap duration to share access fairly). All calls are recorded except legal calls to attorneys. Three-way calls, call forwarding, and recording apps are blocked.
Verify current status of free e-messaging at ct.gov/doc -- budget considerations in April 2025 raised the possibility of cuts.
Physical mail to facility address with inmate name and number. Standard Connecticut practice (no statewide digital scanning announced). Verify current policy with the specific facility or ct.gov/doc.
Sending money
**No cash. No personal checks.** Accepted through Inmate Trust Fund (ITF) only:
- Certified check, cashier's check, attorney check, employer check, refund check, social security check, tax refund, unemployment check, or veteran's administration check
- Payable to the inmate; include full name, inmate number, date of birth, and your full name and address
- Mail to: Inmate Trust Fund, P.O. Box 290800, Wethersfield, CT 06129-0800
Visiting
Must be on approved visitor list established through the counselor.
Emergency furlough possible for seriously ill immediate family member.
Contact specific facility for current visiting schedule.
Family and Friends Handbook: ct.gov/doc.
Locating your loved one
CT DOC Inmate Search: ct.gov/doc
CT DOC main: 860-692-7480
InmateAid Connecticut inmate search: [internal link]
Supporting Yourself While Supporting Them
Connecticut's advocacy community is relatively active and has produced real reforms: free communications, solitary confinement restrictions, and the Ombudsman position all came from sustained advocacy. That work is ongoing. The Ombudsman position still needs full permanent funding. The Inspector General position was in search. Free e-messaging was under budget pressure.
The ACLU of Connecticut (acluct.org) is the most direct contact for families who want to engage with current policy advocacy.
Stop Solitary CT is the organization to contact if your loved one's rights under the 2022 solitary restriction law are being violated.
Dial 2-1-1 for local family support services in your area of Connecticut.
Worth Rises (worthrises.org) is tracking whether Connecticut maintains its free communications commitment if the state tries to reduce it. If communications costs return to Connecticut DOC, Worth Rises is the national organization fighting it.
Frequently asked questions
Are phone calls and emails from Connecticut state prisons free?
Yes. Since July 1, 2022, all communications -- phone calls, emails, and video calls -- from Connecticut state correctional facilities are free under Connecticut law. Connecticut was the first state to make all types of prison communications free, not just audio calls. The platform is Securus Technologies. Verify current status of free e-messaging at ct.gov/doc -- budget pressure in April 2025 raised the possibility of changes.
What is unique about Connecticut's correctional system?
Connecticut abolished county government, so CT DOC operates every correctional facility in the state -- including pretrial detention and jails. There are no separate county jail systems. If your loved one was recently arrested anywhere in Connecticut, they are in a CT DOC facility.
What is the CT DOC Ombudsman?
An independent oversight position within CT DOC created by the 2022 solitary confinement reform law. The Ombudsman is selected from candidates nominated by advocacy organizations, not appointed internally by DOC leadership. Families can contact the Ombudsman directly about conditions, treatment, and rights violations. Contact through ct.gov/doc.
What did the 2022 Connecticut solitary confinement law do?
A law effective July 1, 2022 severely restricted the use of solitary confinement in Connecticut prisons and jails. It created the DOC Ombudsman position. If your loved one is in restricted housing that you believe violates the law's limitations on solitary confinement, contact Stop Solitary CT and the DOC Ombudsman.
How do I send money to someone in a Connecticut state prison?
Only through the Inmate Trust Fund (ITF). Accepted forms: certified check, cashier's check, attorney check, employer check, refund check, social security check, tax refund, unemployment check, or VA check. No cash, no personal checks. Make the check payable to the inmate; include their name, number, date of birth, and your name and address. Mail to: Inmate Trust Fund, P.O. Box 290800, Wethersfield, CT 06129-0800.
What is the CT DOC levels system and why does it matter?
CT DOC classifies incarcerated people on a security scale of Level 1 (lowest) to Level 5 (maximum security). A person's level affects their programming access and privileges. Correctional staff cannot tell you your loved one's level -- it is confidential. Your loved one can tell you themselves.
Can I receive my loved one's medical information from CT DOC?
Not without their written consent. Medical records are confidential and cannot be shared with family members unless the incarcerated person has signed a release of information form. Exception: parents and legal guardians of incarcerated minors may receive health information without a release. --- [SPEC NOTE: Series folder 1intOvghBAhj6-_YzDsYllOy4scUOeEGh. Internal CTAs: Connecticut inmate search, send money to Connecticut inmates, Connecticut reentry resources, Staying Connected hub, how prison works hub. SOURCING: prisonlegalnews.org August 2021 (Connecticut makes all prison communications free makes history; bill makes all communications state prisons youth detention facilities free users including emails video calls visits; specifies services shall be free of charge; Connecticut first state make all communications free); connecticutprisons.org October 2025 (since July 1 2022 state facilities provide free phone calls other paid services follow posted rules; Connecticut partners Securus inmate calling account management; audio phone calls free Connecticut law and contract state retained Securus platform provider; other communication options video messaging display prices Securus portal; county abolished Connecticut jails DOC-run intake pretrial facilities; calls recorded monitored security except verified legal calls; three-way calls call forwarding spoofing recording apps blocked lead restrictions; facilities cap call duration 15-20 minutes per call phones shared; Hartford Correctional Center 177 Weston St Hartford CT 06120 main 959-200-3000; DOC lists Securus inmate phone system vendor); portal.ct.gov/Services/Public-Safety (Friends family inmates receive calls SECURUS phone system; create account online or phone three account options AdvanceConnect Traditional collect Direct Bill; Inmate Trust Fund ITF certified check cashier check attorney check employer check refund check social security check tax refund unemployment check veteran administration check via US mail; payable inmate include first name middle initial last name inmate number date of birth sender full name address; P.O. Box 290800 Wethersfield CT 06129-0800; Citizens search current inmates CT DOC number name date of birth; 860-692-7480); CT DOC Family Friends Handbook pdf (counselor establish visiting telephone list; Level 5 maximum security correctional staff cannot discuss inmate level confidential private inmate share information; medical records confidential family not receive health care information unless signed release parents legal guardians minors receive health services information minor without release; immediate family mother father brother sister child grandparents legally married; emergency home visit furlough seriously ill immediate family cannot travel facility; warden unit administrator); ctmirror.org April 11 2025 (CT may cut free prison messaging service advocates call crucial; state considering cutting free e-messaging budget measure; Alex Taubes criminal justice attorney New Haven ultimately family members incarcerated who want keep touch loved ones spend most money; Bianca Tylek prison reform advocate concerned free e-messaging couldn't cut without removing communications entirely created lot confusion); acluct.org summer 2025 newsletter (continued long-standing advocacy housing bill easier criminal record obtain housing working Stop Solitary CT support full funding permanent prison ombudsperson; played key role search new Inspector General; stood alongside CT Domestic Violence Survivors' Justice Act DVSJA Coalition trauma-informed sentencing survivors domestic violence sexual assault stalking human trafficking; Smart Justice Connecticut cut Connecticut jail prison population 50% end racial disparities; acluct.org 765 Asylum Avenue Hartford CT 06105 860-523-9146); prisonlegalnews.org January 2023 (law severely limits use solitary confinement Connecticut jails prisons effective July 1 2022; creates ombudsman position within state Department of Corrections selected candidates nominated new advocacy organization; independent oversight); ctreentry.org/ct-reentry-collaborative/advocacy (ACLU Smart Justice Connecticut cut population 50% end racial disparities; CABHN 65 Hungerford Street Hartford CT 06106 860-904-5431 free resources information attorney referrals criminal pardons public benefits child custody visitation support discrimination eviction unsafe housing SSI debt collection; Connecticut Justice Alliance CTJA steering committee); cpa-ct.org (Community Partners in Action member Criminal Justice Policy Advisory Commission CT Justice Alliance; Reentry Welcome Centers Hartford Waterbury; Reentry Backpack reentry services; approximately 1000 people released CT prisons each month more than 10% married over 50% dependents); ctreentry.org/resources/family-supports (family supports 287 Main Street 3rd Floor East Hartford CT 06118 1-800-228-5437; CIP Initiative Central Connecticut State University IMRP FAQ booklet incarcerated parents caregivers children CT DOC collaboration); familyreentry.org Bridgeport; connlegalservices.org Connecticut Legal Services; nhlaa.org New Haven Legal Assistance; Legal Aid Society Hartford 860-541-5000; Human Rights Defense Center 561-360-2523; famm.org; worthrises.org; cga.ct.gov; justice.gov/crt. NOTE for Poorwa: CRITICAL -- verify free e-messaging still in effect as of publication date (CT Mirror April 2025 reported potential budget cut; confirm current status through ct.gov/doc or ACLU Connecticut); verify CT DOC Ombudsman current holder and contact information (created July 1 2022 law; ACLU advocating full permanent funding summer 2025; confirm current status and contact through ct.gov/doc); verify Inspector General current status and contact (ACLU CT 2025 newsletter noted active search for new IG); verify Securus still CT DOC phone platform and all audio calls emails video still free; verify Inmate Trust Fund P.O. Box 290800 Wethersfield CT 06129-0800 still current money sending address; verify 860-692-7480 still CT DOC main line; verify Stop Solitary CT current website and contact; verify Family ReEntry familyreentry.org Bridgeport current; verify cpa-ct.org current and Reentry Welcome Centers Hartford Waterbury current; verify connlegalservices.org nhlaa.org Legal Aid Society Hartford 860-541-5000 current; verify 211 CT dial 2-1-1 current; verify CT DOC inmate search at ct.gov/doc current; verify ACLU CT 860-523-9146 acluct.org current; verify levels system Level 1-5 still current CT DOC; verify no statewide mail scanning transition in Connecticut; len/char check before publish.]
Stay Connected with InmateAid
Reach Your Loved One in Connecticut
InmateAid helps families stay in touch. Set up discounted calls, send letters and photos, add money, or send approved magazines - all in one place.