Hon. Governor Ned Lamont

Office of Governor Ned Lamont
State Capitol
210 Capitol Ave.
Hartford, CT 06106

April 17, 2020

cc:
Paul Mounds, Chief of Staff;
Josh Geballe, Chief Operating Officer;
Robert Clark, General Counsel;
Doug Dalena, Deputy General Counsel
Jonathan Dach, Policy Director;
Melissa McCaw, Secretary to the Governor
Kosta Diamantis, Deputy Secretary
Marc Pelka, Undersecretary;

Dear Governor Lamont:

Connecticut sits near the epicenter of a growing COVID-19 pandemic that as of the date of this letter has claimed the lives of 1036 Connecticut residents. We, like you, have the privilege of representing Connecticut residents from all walks of life. Our constituents, like yours, include incarcerated people and their loved ones. A coordinated government response to protect all of Connecticut’s vulnerable communities, including incarcerated people, is the only effective way Connecticut can stem the tide of COVID-19. On March 10, 2020 you invoked rarely used emergency powers by declaring a public health and civil preparedness emergency throughout the state, pursuant to Section 19a-131a and 28-9 of the Connecticut General Statutes.  In recognition of a looming public health crisis and the need for Connecticut to work together in one accord legislative leaders, through the Declaration of Public Health Emergency Committee, agreed to support your emergency declaration which will extend to at least September 9, 2020.

Under existing emergency powers your administration has become the voice and face of our state government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under unprecedented circumstances your administration has taken extraordinary steps to reduce COVID-19 transmissions through restricting commerce and social life, closing schools, protecting nursing homes, postponing the presidential primary, suspending non-critical court operations, and decreasing density in shelters through alternative housing. In recognition of the hardships Connecticut residents are facing as a result of your executive orders you have taken action to support small businesses through emergency no-interest loans, you have secured laptops for students to work remotely, you have suspended the twenty-one month limit on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and have successfully unlocked additional federal resources  through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s  approval of a Major Disaster Declaration. These are, of course, just a few highlights of the good work of your administration has focused on over the last twenty-one days.  However, we write to you out of grave concern for the lives of people living in one of our state’s densest congregate living arrangements: Connecticut prisons and jails.  

As of the date of this letter 165 correctional staff and 246 incarcerated adults have tested positive for COVID-19. The Department of Correction has reported a COVID-19 associated death of one incarcerated person. Incarcerated people’s lives are at risk without meaningful and transparent action and a clear and coordinated plan. When you declared a public health emergency it was our understanding you would use your power to act efficiently and unilaterally to save the lives of all Connecticut residents. COVID-19 will spread like wildfire in Connecticut prison and jails. We call on you to use your authority and emergency powers to direct the Department of Correction, the Board of Pardons and Paroles, the Judicial Branch, and the Division of Criminal Justice  to work collaboratively and release people from Connecticut prisons and jails.  

Employing standard measures used to contain other communicable diseases like influenza are inadequate strategies for COVID-19. Public health experts have determined the only effective tool for combating the COVID-19 pandemic are effective social distancing strategies. Unfortunately, effective social distancing is impossible under typical conditions in Connecticut’s correctional facilities. Governor Lamont, to create the requisite spacing of six feet between individuals in our state’s correctional facilities, the state must safely, thoughtfully, and rapidly decrease the density of its prisons, jails, and halfway houses.  We implore you to direct state agencies to begin releasing the thousands of people who have not been convicted of a crime but are in pretrial detention because they cannot afford to post their bond. Additionally we ask that you take immediate action to release people who are already scheduled to be released in the next 90  days, all people who are eligible for parole and community supervision or release, and anyone incarcerated for a technical parole or probation violation.

The legislators undersigned in this letter are committed to working with your administration to ensure that we adequately provide emergency funding and services to the incarcerated people you release and their families. Under existing emergency powers your administration has become the voice and face of our state government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We ask that you speak on behalf incarcerated people to bring calm and reassurance to the families of people who are currently incarcerated. We ask that you act in their best interest by decreasing the density of our state’s correctional facilities and potentially save hundreds of lives.  

Thank you for your leadership on these issues thus far. Let’s work together to keep Connecticut safe and healthy.

Sincerely,

Congresswoman Jahana Hayes, CT-05
State Representative Arnone, Tom
State Representative Concepcion, Julio A.
State Representative Candelaria, Juan
State Representative Conley, Christine
State Representative Currey, Jeff
State Representative Elliot, Josh
State Representative Exum, Tammy
State Representative Felipe, Antonio
State Representative Gibson, Bobby
State Representative Gucker, Kenneth
State Representative Haddad, Gregory
State Representative Hall, Joshua M.
State Representative Hughes, Anne
State Representative Johnson, Susan
State Representative Lemar, Roland
State Representative Luxenberg, Geoffrey
State Representative McGee, Brandon
State Representative Michel, David
State Representative Miller, Patricia Billie
State Representative Mushinsky, Mary
State Representative Nolan, Anthony
State Representative Palm, Christine
State Representative Pheanious, Pat Wilson
State Representative Phipps, Quentin “Q”
State Representative Porter, Robyn A.
State Representative Reyes, Geraldo
State Representative Ritter, Matthew
State Representative Rojas, Jason
State Representative Rosario, Christopher
State Representative Ryan, Kevin
State Representative Sanchez, Bobby
State Representative Simms, Travis
State Representative Tercyak, Peter
State Representative Vargas,  Ed
State Representative Winkler, Michael
State Senator Anwar, Saud
State Senator Bradley, Dennis
State Senator Duff, Bob
State Senator Haskell, Will
State Senator Kasser, Alex
State Senator Kushner, Julie
State Senator Looney, Martin M.
State Senator Maroney, James
State Senator McCrory, Doug
State Senator Moore, Marilyn
State Senator Winfield, Gary

(Legislators will be added on a rolling basis as names are submitted)