Policy Perspective
Ending solitary confinement is just one part of the movement to eradicate correctional brutality. We also believe that the fight to hold police officers accountable is inseperable from the fight to hold correctional officers accountable; police and corrections officers are, at the end of the day, two sides of the same coin. In fighting to pass An Act Concerning Police Accountability, we advocated consistently for the inclusion of correctional officers in the bill’s language. The final version of the bill included two provisions that will directly apply to the Connecticut Department of Correction:
Correctional officers will now have a “duty to intervene” should they observe any action that they “objectively know to be excessive or illegal use of force.” Additionally, the officer will be required to report said use of force and will be protected by a whistleblower provision.
The bill will create a new Office of the Inspector General, which will be charged, among other things, with investigating any death that occurs while someone is in the custody of the Connecticut Department of Correction.
Although the inclusion of these provisions is undoubtedly a win, it is only a tiny step forward. We will continue fighting to pass the PROTECT Act and ensure that correctional brutality is eradicated from the Connecticut Department of Correction.
Actions
July 22nd: Teach In on Correctional Brutality
Partnering with ACLU’s Smart Justice Campaign, Stop Solitary CT hosted a Teach-In that centered the perspectives and voices of people who have experienced brutality behind bars. The Teach-In briefly outlined key advocacy goals: abolishing qualified immunity for police and correctional officers, banning violent practices like chokeholds and solitary confinement, and creating community oversight of police and corrections. It then created space for people to testify about the brutality that they have experienced in the criminal legal system.
June 17th: Press Conference to Demand that Legislation Address Both Police and Correctional Officers in Special Session
A coalition of legislators, community leaders, and civil rights organizations gathered outside the Capitol Building on Wednesday afternoon to demand substantive change during a special session. Stop Solitary CT called on the Governor and legislative leaders to pass a bill that redirects police and correctional funding to black and brown communities, closes Northern C.I., abolishes solitary confinement, and fully funds independent oversight of police departments and correctional facilities.
