Department of Correction

A long-time Connecticut inmate and prisoner rights advocate recently had his sentence reduced by a few years. In 1998, 21-year-old Michael Liebowitz was convicted on a felony assault charge, according to his Department of Corrections profile. He was sentenced to 28 years in prison, which would put his release in June 2026. He is currently an inmate at Osborn Correctional…

A Connecticut prison guard has been fired after an investigation found he fabricated a complaint about being the target of anti-Muslim harassment at work. The Correction Department confirmed Tuesday that Officer Shem Brijbalis was terminated on April 7 for violating the department’s “policies and directives related to harassment and unprofessional behavior.” The department began an investigation in May 2021 after…

Disturbing video shared by the family’s attorney raises new questions about how a 19-year-old man died while in custody at Suffield’s Walker Correctional facility. The man’s mother said a call for medical help took too long and the man passed away. “The hardest part for me is I may never find out what really happened in that cell, but...

A 19-year-old man died while in custody at the Walker Correctional facility and video his family’s attorney is sharing raises new questions about how he died.

The list of issues at Rikers is long and jaw-dropping — violence, trash piled up, human waste coating the floors, and at the top of the list: staffing

A parole officer accidentally shot them self during training at a gun range in Waterbury, according to a Department of Correction spokesperson. The spokesperson said a DOC parole and community services officer sustained a leg injury after an “apparent inadvertent discharge of their weapon.” Parole staff members and firearms instructions at the scene helped the injured officer. The parole officer…

Connecticut’s prison system has fired a guard after an Islamic group complained about an anti-Muslim meme he posted on social media years ago. In a termination letter dated Tuesday and obtained by The Associated Press through a public records request, Garner Correctional Institution warden Amoda Hannah told Officer Anthony Marlak that his use of social media had “undermined the...

The New York City Department of Correction appears to have accidentally released a murder suspect awaiting trial, and the NYPD says they’re actively searching for him.

The Connecticut Department of Correction announced that a second inmate died of COVID-related complications in the span of two days. Officials said a 69-year-old man was transferred from the Agency’s MacDougall-Walker Medical Isolation Unit to an outside hospital for treatment on Dec. 15 where he later died. The man last entered the correctional system in October of 2015 and was…

The Department of Corrections announced another inmate death because of COVID-19 complications. The DOC said a 47-year-old man was transferred to an outside hospital for treatment on Nov. 28, where he later died. The man was serving a two and a half year sentence for sale of hallucinogen/narcotic substances as well as assault of a public safety, emergency medical, public…

The Connecticut Department of Corrections is reporting that their phone system is back up and running after it was down on Saturday. The phone system was down for the incarcerated population into Sunday afternoon. It is unclear what caused the issue at this time. The DOC said they apologize for the disruption. No additional information was immediately available.

Dozens of inmates at Hartford Correctional Center have tested positive for COVID-19, the Department of Correction confirmed Tuesday. DOC officials said the situation began when two employees reported testing positive for COVID-19. Testing found 56 inmates in the unit where the employees work tested positive for the virus, though none of those 56 were reporting symptoms, officials said. The 56…

The Connecticut Department of Correction has released results of its COVID-19 mass testing efforts, revealing a positive test percentage of 9%. In May the DOC began testing as many of its prisoners and staff. Out of the 9,504 prisoners tested across the system, 832 were positive. Officials said all but two tested as part of the mass testing effort were…

Governor Ned Lamont announced that Department of Correction Commissioner Rollin Cook will be leaving his position with the State of Connecticut. Cook joined Lamont’s administration when he took office in Jan. 2019. Before that, Cook served as executive director of the Department of Corrections in Utah. Cook said that his decision to leave the agency was based solely for personal…

“What they’re doing is ridiculous, illogical, and arbitrary.” Inmate Michael Liebowitz leveled that criticism toward the Connecticut Department of Correction’s response to the novel coronavirus. He called NBC Connecticut Investigates after watching our series of stories on an exclusive survey of 300 plus correction officers on how the DOC has handled the pandemic. So far seven inmates have died...

Inmate Michael Liebowitz reached out after our NBC CT Investigates stories on how the Connecticut Department of Correction has handled the coronavirus outbreak

A settlement was reached in a federal lawsuit between the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut and the state which would take measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus in prisons. Two lawsuits were filed since the emergence of coronavirus: one federal and one state. If approved, the settlement reached on Sunday in the federal McPherson v. Lamont case will…

A 60-year-old male is the seventh inmate to pass away from COVID-19 related complications under the supervision of the Connecticut Department of Correction.  “The deceased individual was transferred from the Osborn Correctional Institution to the UConn Health Center for treatment on April 30, 2020,” said a DOC spokesperson. “He succumbed to his illness on Tuesday.” He last entered the Connecticut correctional…

More than 300 corrections officers answered our exclusive survey about their concerns over coronavirus and its risks.