Connecticut corrections facilities "are operating in a state of sustained institutional failure," according to a scathing report about life at state prisons.
The 2025 Conditions of Confinement report was written by DeVaughn Ward, the correction ombudsman, whose job is to investigate prison complaints. The report is 57 pages and spans from September 2024 through December 2025, during which Ward said he conducted site visits, reviewed records and interviewed Department of Correction staff.
According to the report, he found "recurring failures" across nearly every aspect of prison life including staffing and operations, medical and mental health care, hygiene and environmental conditions, food services, legal access and communication and visitation.
The report, which included photos and specific complaints, described "unsanitary and degrading living conditions,” such as, "mold-contaminated ventilation systems, rodent infestations, sewage odors and backups, broken showers and prolonged denial of hygiene supplies and shower access—conditions frequently exacerbated by extreme heat."
Among the pictures embedded in the report: a damaged ventilation system at MacDougal Correctional Institution, mold on a bathroom ceiling at Hartford Correctional Center and a dead mouse in the dining area of Osborn Correctional Institution. Ward noted an unhealthy environment isn’t just a problem for inmates, but the workers there for prolonged hours, too.
The report also alleged facilities relied on lockdowns as a response to staffing shortages. There were 387 lockdowns in 2025, per DOC, with many occurring on weekends and holidays, according to the report. “The OCO received numerous complaints—and confirmed through site visits—that individuals were confined to their cells for days at a time, missed medical appointments, were denied showers for multiple days and lost visits with family members who had traveled long distances,” Ward wrote.
He characterized his findings as "both a record and a warning: absent decisive intervention, Connecticut risks entrenching a correctional system defined by instability, isolation, and preventable harm."
In response to the report, a spokesperson for the DOC released the following statement:
"In his letter to Correction Ombudsman DeVaughn Ward, Commissioner Angel Quiros expressed that, 'The Department of Correction (DOC) strongly objects to the grossly overstated and unsupported generalization,' that the correctional system is operating in a state of 'sustained institutional failure.'
The Ombudsman’s report contains a number of allegations which are unsupported in either fact or law and appear to serve only to foster an extremely negative perception of the agency.
The report also fails to indicate that the department proactively brought to the Ombudsman’s attention many of the issues raised in the report. Any implication that the DOC has disregarded any of the concerns raised is simply not true.
Additionally, the report cites several issues that are based solely on a singular occurrence, from which Attorney Ward has drawn unfounded and wide-ranging inferences.
We acknowledge that there is always room for improvement in any enterprise that houses, feeds, clothes, ministers to the physical, emotional, spiritual, medical and psychological needs, provides reentry and counseling and programming, addiction treatment services, educational services and vocational, and employment readiness training to approximately 11,000 incarcerated individuals on a 24-hour/365-days-a-year basis. To that end, the DOC strives for continuous improvement. Also, the administration of the Department of Correction strongly believes a collaborative approach with the Office of Correctional Ombudsman is in the best interest of the incarcerated population.
The DOC is working on (and will submit to the Ombudsman by February 20) a thorough and detailed response to the 2025 Conditions of Confinement Report."
The report will be discussed during a public hearing at 6 p.m. on Jan. 29 in the Legislative Office Building in Hartford.