Data from the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness shows nearly 50% of people in homeless shelters in Connecticut over the past three years were also incarcerated at some point.
Since 2016, of more than 17,000 people entering shelters across the state, over 8,000 of them previously were incarcerated.
The data shows former inmates still face challenges when reentering society related to employment or housing, even in a state that has prioritized criminal justice reform.
The data was provided by the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness. It checked data reported to the coalition by shelters against names of inmates kept by the Department of Correction.
Marc Pelka is the top criminal justice aide to Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont. He says the data reveals a surprising amount of overlap between shelters and the correction system.
