HARTFORD, Conn. — The state will closed the Radgowski Correctional Center in Montville by the end of the year. .
Gov. Ned Lamont made the announcement on Wednesday afternoon.
In a release, the Governor's office said, "It is one of three correctional facilities that are included for closure under the FY 2022-2023 state budget that was approved with bipartisan support in the state legislature and signed into law by the governor this summer. Closing the Radgowski Correctional Center will save the state approximately $7.3 million in annual operating costs. This comes in addition the recent closure of Northern Correctional Institution in Somers, which is expected to save about $11.75 million annually. The closure of a third facility is pending."
The move was made possible by the steep decline in the state's prison population. The number of inmates decreased by more than 3,200 individuals over the last 17 months. The total population among all state-operated correctional facilities currently stands at about 9,200 individuals, which is substantially down from the all-time high of 19,894 in February 2008.
House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora said in a statement:
“Announcements on decisions that reduce the size and cost state government are often met with immediate applause for their advertised benefit to taxpayers, but in the case of the governor’s moves to close prisons we have to wonder what his long-term vision is for the Department of Correction—particularly as we’re talking about issues surrounding our juvenile justice system and as we invest millions in federal pandemic aid into other correctional facilities. Simply moving employees from one prison facility to another isn’t a point to celebrate, and it should instead trigger a broader conversation about the governor negotiating with unions to more accurately reflect on-the-ground staffing needs at our facilities.”
According to the state, "Radgowski Correctional Center opened on January 10, 1991, as a medium-security facility for incarcerated men. Today, there are 108 incarcerated individuals at the facility, which is significantly down from the all-time high of 734 in 2014. Over the coming weeks, the remaining population will be methodically transferred to appropriate facilities within the state’s correctional system. Safety and security will remain the primary consideration of the Department of Correction when deciding where the population will be moved."
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