Connecticut Correctional Officer Safety Forum

A Correction's Officer's Day

2012-01-26T10:17:00.001-05:00

This is my life--A Correction's Officer's Day!!! We wish you knew how we feel when we walk through those gates and hear them lock behind us. How we feel when walking up a corridor, not knowing how many fights there will be that day. Maybe a stabbing, someone getting sliced from a razor, someone drunk from homemade alcohol, or high from drugs smuggled in. Will there be a staff assault today? Watching the inmates movements, plus watching out for other co-workers, like a nurse walking through the block, a counselor or unit manager, a coach or minister, a secretary, a librarian, or someone from the front office...they walk through not realizing how many inmates are watching them wondering how they could do them harm. We try to have their backs at all times. We work holidays, weekends and through most of our family functions. We come to work sick, so we can save our days to spend with our kids. Stress levels can run high, but we're pro's at hiding it. We don't bring our problems at home into work...no time for that crap. We don't make friends as Corrections Officers. When at work...we add to our family. We are like brothers...and sisters...arguments here and there, but in the end, just like family we have each others backs. As a Correction Officer, we try to keep the community safe from any escapes. As a Correction Officer, we try to keep each other safe. Even protecting inmates from inmates, it happens all the time. You never hear anything about our jobs, but it's time...if you are a Correction Officer, a family member of one, a friend of one or just know of one... share this in hopes of them coming home safe every day for their families.

Contraband Seized From Cheshire Prison

2011-11-16T16:46:00.000-05:00

By CHRISTINE DEMPSEY, cdempsey@courant.com
The Hartford Courant
4:19 p.m. EST, November 16, 2011

CHESHIRE—
Illegal drugs and cell phones were found in the Cheshire Correctional Institution, and two state agencies are trying to found out why.

Two small packets of marijuana and four cell phones were confiscated from inmates during searches on Nov. 7 and Nov. 8, said Andrius Banevicius, a spokesman for the state Department of Correction. Prisoners are not allowed to have cell phones.
The correction department and the state police are investigating, state and union officials said Wednesday.

"At this point, we have no idea where it came from," said Lisamarie Fontano, president of the AFSCME Local 387, which represents correction officers. It wasn't clear if the contraband was brought into the building by visitors or staff, she said.

Fontano said she would get involved if a corrrection officer is suspected of bringing the items into the prison, she said.

"We have a zero tolerance for dirty staff," she said.

Brian Garnett, another correction spokesman, said it's too early to comment on the contraband because the criminal probe and internal investigation continue.

"We are working with the state police," he said.

Prison officials always are on the lookout for illegal items, he said.

"Contraband is something that we are constantly on the alert for, constantly searching for," Garnett said.

— Hillary Federico contributed to this report.

Union Files Injunction to Stop Prison Closing

2011-08-26T07:57:00.002-04:00

Fight Erupts At Garner Correctional Institution; Six Staff Members Injured

2011-07-17T07:42:00.000-04:00

By HILLARY FEDERICO,The Hartford Courant

NEWTOWN—

Six staff members at the Garner Correctional Institution were injured after responding to a fight among inmates Friday afternoon, a state Department of Correction spokesman said.

Most of the injuries reported were back and shoulder sprains, said Andrius Banevicus, spokesman for department. He added that state police are expected to press charges. Around 12:15 p.m. the staff members were notified of a fight among a group of inmates in one of the prison's housing units. Banevicus said the fight was sparked by an inmate who had attacked another inmate with whom he had a previous dispute, as the group was being brought into the housing unit's showers. A total of six inmates were involved in the fight, authorities said..

DOC Savings Plan Closes Enfield Correction Institution

2011-07-09T06:49:00.001-04:00

by Hugh McQuaid | Jul 8, 2011 12:52pm

(8) Comments | Log in to Post a Comment
Posted to: Labor, Legal, State Budget, State Capitol, Enfield

DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION PHOTO

Enfield Correctional Institution

Enfield Correction Institution will close on Oct. 1 if the plan Department of Correction Commissioner Leo Arnone submitted Friday is approved by the Office of Policy and Management.

The prison will follow Bergin Correctional Institution which is set to close on July 15.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy required the commissioners of all state agencies to submit a savings plan by Friday to help the administration come up with $1.6 billion to close the budget gap left by the failed concession package. The plans, submitted to Malloy’s Budget Director Benjamin Barnes today, will contain a total of somewhere around 6,500 layoffs and reductions in state programs and services.

Read the rest of the story by clicking here: http://www.ctnewsjunkie.com/ctnj.php/archives/entry/doc_savings_plan_closes_enfield_ci/#more

Official Asked To 'Stop Talking To The Press About SEBAC'

2011-06-30T20:02:00.004-04:00

First let me reiterate my respect for Moises Padilla. This letter is about fairness. This was the equivalent of calling the 2000 presidential election before all the votes were counted. This letter isn't about the Union losing dues because of layoffs, it's about saving jobs. Until you have taken phone calls from Correctional Staff that are agonizing about being laid off, worried about their mortgage, providing for their families, or just plain surviving in a CT economy with 9.1% unemployment, please cut me some slack. This letter was also about SAFETY in our facilities. They are going to cut posts in the facilities. We all know what is going to happen if they cut posts, prisons become even more dangerous. Anyone that has read my blog knows it's all about safety, period.

Prison Union Official Asks Outspoken Moises Padilla To "Stop Talking To The Press About SEBAC'' - Padilla Says Yankee Institute Is A Scapegoat In Ongoing Union Battles

Christopher Keating

Hartford Courant
on June 30, 2011

The chief steward at the state's toughest prison is asking a fellow union official to tone down his criticism of the savings-and-concession deal reached with Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.

Kevin Brace, the steward at the Northern Correctional Institute, wrote a letter to Moises Padilla, an outspoken union leader in Cheshire, to say that he should not have made critical comments before all of the correctional officers had voted in all union locals around the state.

"I believe our union made a huge mistake by voting the SEBAC agreement down,'' Brace wrote. "It was our members' self-imposed ignorance that kept them away from the informational meetings that we held. Meetings that if you had attended might have put your apprehensions to rest.''

Brace specifically complained that Padilla talked about the deal before the correctional officers in his union, Local 391 in northern Connecticut, had a chance to cast their ballots. As such, Brace said, "We never got a chance for a fair vote in our local.''

Brace added, "I am pleading with you to please stop talking to the press about SEBAC, and to let things work themselves out. I am not censoring your right to free speech. I am just pointing out to you that sometimes the best intentions don't always produce the best results. I shudder to think about all of my co-workers who are going to be without jobs and the impact that it will have on all of our safety. I am dreading the days that I will have to spend at Johnson Memorial Hospital comforting the victims and the families of these assaults. Because at the end of the day, what good is the money if you don't make it home to spent it?''

Padilla could not immediately be reached for a response to Brace's two-page letter, but he remained outspoken in a recent interview with Capitol Watch by ripping the SEBAC leadership for blaming the failure of the deal, in part, on the conservative Yankee Institute.

"The Yankee Institute had nothing to do with it,'' Padilla said. "I knew all along they were looking for a scapegoat, and they found one in the Yankee Institute. It's the joke around the institution. We blame everything on the Yankee Institute. It's a running joke now.''

Padilla says it is "an insult'' to the correctional officers to believe they could not make an independent decision and instead were being swayed by a small, conservative thinktank in Hartford that many of them had never heard of.

When asked if he believes that the SEBAC leaders had done an inadequate job in explaining the details and selling the agreement to the union members, Padilla said, "This is why they have egg all over their face. I would call it a miserable job at trying to portray what was in this agreement.''

He added, "In the end, shame on the governor and the legislature for passing the budget with a big unknown in it.''

Padilla continued to criticize the proposed changes in healthcare benefits for union members. He and other union members raised concerns about the state employees' healthcare being merged into the SustiNet healthcare plan, which was mentioned repeatedly in e-mails that were circulated around the state.

When told that Malloy had explicitly and strongly denied that the state employees' plan had anything to do with SustiNet, Padilla said, "The members don't believe it. I personally don't believe it. I'm not calling the governor a liar. We don't want it.''

Corrections President explains SEBAC No Vote

2011-06-26T05:58:00.002-04:00

Is Labor Deal A Bargain?

2011-05-21T17:59:00.000-04:00

By MATT VENHORSTThe Hartford Courant

May 22, 2011

As a state employee in the middle of my initial probationary period, I was elated last week when the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition, known as SEBAC, and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's negotiating team announced a tentative agreement on wage and benefit concessions.

The deal meant I could keep the job I genuinely enjoy coming to each day; that no more of my colleagues would be laid off; and that Connecticut's $3.7 billion budget deficit nightmare would be over. My enthusiasm was short-lived, however, as just minutes after hearing of the tentative bargain, I learned that some of my fellow state employees would be voting "no" to any concessions — a decision they had reached before even learning the details of the agreement. Before casting their "no" vote, I ask simply that my fellow state employees consider the following:

First, this agreement must be considered within the broader context of the recent backlash against public sector workers. Without delving into the particulars, consider what's happened in Wisconsin, New Jersey, Ohio and a host of other states. Although the familiar refrain that "we state employees didn't create this mess" is no doubt true, it is also true that the state employee compensation structure is unsustainable.

To take just two examples, the state pension fund is woefully underfunded, and the system of providing health insurance to retirees — at no cost to the vast majority of current state employees — is out of touch with broader market realities. In short, changes need to be made, and the present agreement is a reasonable, relatively painless way to modify an outmoded system of compensation.

Second, the rejection of this tentative agreement would result in rising costs to all state residents, including state employees. Although the details of Gov. Malloy's infamous "Plan B" are far from clear, the alternative budget is certain to include reduced state aid to Connecticut's cities and towns in addition to a variety of other highly distasteful outcomes.

As municipalities grapple with decreased funding at this late date in the budget cycle, they would undoubtedly be forced to raise taxes to compensate for the lost revenue as well as slash their own budgets. The result would inevitably be layoffs of local employees — including teachers and other school employees — which would lead to increased class sizes and the elimination of countless programs and services on which residents rely.

Third, while the SEBAC agreement is clearly about more than just job security, no current union employees could be laid off for the next four years — an enviable assurance indeed in the present economic environment.

With the current Connecticut unemployment rate at 9 percent, cutting thousands of employees from the state payroll would ruin the lives of countless families while compounding the state's unemployment crisis. It goes without saying that this would exacerbate the state's financial situation as unemployment insurance payments are made and displaced workers and their families curtail spending precipitously.

I am not asking all state employees blindly to vote in favor of the agreement regardless of its terms and irrespective of employees' individual circumstances. Rather, I respectfully request that all state employees carefully consider the implications of a rejection of this tentative agreement, and to think about more than just themselves when casting their vote.

Matt Venhorst of West Hartford is a staff attorney for the state Department of Education.

Video: Bergin Correctional Staff receives "Pink Slips"

2011-05-13T13:29:00.000-04:00

http://www.wfsb.com/local-video/index.html?grabnetworks_video_id=4689618

Money over Safety?

2011-05-11T20:06:00.000-04:00

State Could Close Prison In Mansfield If 'Plan B' Cuts Enacted

2011-05-11T19:34:00.000-04:00

By CHRISTOPHER KEATING,The Hartford Courant

HARTFORD — With the inmate population dropping, the state will consider closing its third prison in 18 months if Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's "Plan B'' budget cuts are approved.

The Donald T. Bergin Correctional Institution in Storrs would be the prison to close, and the inmates would be sent to other prisons around the state, said Michael P. Lawlor, Malloy's chief budget adviser on prison and criminal justice issues. The measure is a cost-cutting move that is made possible because the state's prison population has fallen to its lowest level in 10 years.

"It's one of the cheaper-to-run prisons,'' Lawlor said Wednesday. "There are no cells in there. Half is like a college dormitory with big, open rooms and bunk beds. It's a minimum-security prison.''

Bergin is known as a Level 2 facility on a scale that ranges up to 5 for the maximum-security, "supermax'' prison in Somers that houses death-row inmates and the state's most violent criminals.

By contrast, the prisoners at Bergin are often those convicted of multiple drunken driving offenses and those nearing the end of their sentences.

The prison closing is part of the "Plan B'' budget that is necessary because Malloy and the state employee unions have not agreed on $2 billion in concessions and savings over two years. Matt O'Connor, a spokesman for the unions, said Wednesday night that the two sides had been talking throughout the day and into the night in a continuing effort to reach a deal.

"We're anticipating a hopeful outcome at some point,'' O'Connor said. "If we're still talking, there's reason to be hopeful.''

If the "Plan B'' budget cuts are enacted by the legislature, Bergin would be the third prison to close in about 18 months. The state has already closed Webster Correctional Institution in Cheshire, as ordered by then-Gov. M. Jodi Rell to save the state $3.4 million yearly. Malloy has ordered the closure of Gates prison in Niantic on June 1. Gates, which holds about 700 criminals, is a Level 2, minimum-security faculty like Bergin.

With three prisons closed, the state would have 15 correctional facilities.

Bergin had 931 inmates on Jan. 1 and 218 state employees to run the facility. The prison is on the site of the former Mansfield Training School, which was ordered closed in 1993 by then-Gov. Lowell P. Weicker, Jr. Formerly known as the Northeast Correctional Institution, the prison held 500 criminals in 1999 and then 650 inmates in 2001 following an expansion.

The state's overall inmate population has fallen to about 17,500, which is the lowest in 10 years. It is also far lower than the all-time peak of 19,894 in February 2008, which occurred after the triple slayings and arson at the home of the Petit family in Cheshire.Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her two daughters were killed, andSteven Hayes has been convicted on multiple counts in their deaths. A second defendant, Joshua Komisarjevsky, is awaiting trial later this year.

The prison population exploded by about 1,200 after Rell froze the parole system following the triple homicide in Cheshire – and large numbers of inmates were not allowed out of the prisons.

Lawlor says that closing prisons is part of a national trend as crime has decreased and the number of inmates has decreased. Governors in California, Texas, and Kansas have moved to close prisons, and New York State has shut down prisons in recent years.

Connecticut Discriminated Against Women: Federal Judge Rules Against Dept. of Corrections

2011-05-09T18:44:00.002-04:00

BRIDGEPORT, Conn., May 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- A federal judge has ruled that for years the State of Connecticutdiscriminated against more than a hundred women who applied for jobs as prison guards with the Department of Correction.

The ruling, which Plaintiffs announced today, takes the extraordinary step of granting final judgment before even reaching a trial. The case will now enter the relief phase, and Plaintiffs will seek cash payments for lost wages totaling well over $1 million, and the possibility of being hired for the jobs for which they had applied.

The class action lawsuit was originally filed in May 2008 by attorneys at Outten & Golden LLP and Public Citizen Litigation Group on behalf of Cherie Easterling of Bloomfield, the lead Plaintiff representing the class of women who were subjected to the discriminatory job application test. The court will be scheduling a conference soon to determine the amount of the damages and the details of an injunction.

To apply for the jobs as prison guards, the women were required to run 1.5 miles within set times. U.S. District Court JudgeJanet C. Hall ruled that on average, female applicants for the prison guard positions failed the physical fitness test at a rate that was much higher than their male counterparts, and that the 1.5 mile run test had no relationship with the requirements of the job, and that it therefore was unlawful.

The Department of Correction "was aware of this adverse impact as early as September 2004" and the department chose to use the results of the tests "despite its adverse impact on women," the suit says.

In 2005, Easterling filed a complaint with the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities as well as the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Despite the State Commission's warnings that the test is discriminatory, the Department of Correction kept using it anyway. By February 2008, both government agencies granted Easterling the right to sue in court.

"The defendant has presented no evidence showing the timed 1.5 mile run to be predictive of who can perform the essential physical functions of the job" of corrections officer, Judge Hall said in her 37-page decision.

"We have always found it absurd that any applicant who could not run 1.5 miles at a certain speed was automatically rejected right then and there, regardless of how well qualified they were in all other respects. There's no place in any Connecticut prison where anyone could run nearly that far or any evidence that that level of fitness is required for guards," said one of Plaintiffs' lawyers, Seth M. Marnin, of Outten & Golden. "And there's never been any dispute that women passed the run test at a lower rate than men. When an employer uses an arbitrary test like this, and the test favors men over women, it violates the federal Civil Rights Act and is illegal."

"It is hard to understand why the Department of Correction continued to rely upon a test that they knew was discriminatory and had no relationship to a person's ability to perform well as a prison guard," said co-counsel Michael T. Kirkpatrick, an attorney with Public Citizen Litigation Group in Washington, D.C. "Not only did all these women lose a source of livelihood, but the State lost an opportunity to hire applicants who may have been excellent guards."

Representing the State of Connecticut are Assistant Attorneys General Margaret Chapple and Maria Rodriguez.

Inmate Gets Five More Years In Prison Assault

2011-05-07T18:59:00.000-04:00

By CHRISTINE DEMPSEY,

The Hartford Courant

An inmate was sentenced Friday to five more years in prison for a 2009 attack on two correction officers at Northern Correctional Institution in Somers.

Francis Anderson, 41, was given a five-year sentence for each of two charges of assault of a public safety officer. The sentences are to run concurrently, but in addition to the five-year sentence he is serving for burglary.

According to the warrant for his arrest, the attack happened on Sept. 30, 2009. Anderson charged one correction officer as he opened his cell door and punched him in the face, it states. A second officer who rushed to help also was punched.

Malloy delays layoff notices...

2011-05-05T15:54:00.000-04:00

Earlier today the Malloy Administration informed the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition (SEBAC) negotiators that they will NOT BE issuing layoff notices to unionized state employees before next week.

Enfield prison tops list of possible closings

2011-04-27T14:23:00.001-04:00

By Ed Jacovino

Journal Inquirer

The Enfield Correctional Institution is the “leading candidate” to close in the coming fiscal year under a budget deal struck between Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and legislative leaders, the Correction Department commissioner said Tuesday.

The prison is one of the state’s oldest and most “staff-heavy,” making it expensive to operate, Commissioner Leo C. Arnone said. But he was hesitant to say it definitely would be the prison to close.

“Enfield is a candidate today — however, if our population reduces at a greater rate than it’s presently going, that could conceivably be another facility,” Arnone said.

The budget agreement reached last week between Malloy, who’s a Democrat, and Democratic legislative leaders calls for closing a prison before July 2012. The closure, combined with other changes aimed at decreasing the prison population, would save $16.2 million in the budget’s first year and $33.6 million in the second.

The plans follow the decision to shutter another prison — Gates Correctional Institution in East Lyme — which is expected to close in June.

Prisons are closing because of a steadily declining inmate population, Arnone said. Malloy also has proposed efforts to offer alternatives to prison for some offenders and to allow for the early release of others.

The prison guard union already is mounting its attack against the moves. Early release means putting criminals on the streets, they say.

Enfield Correctional is a minimum- and medium-security prison with some 700 inmates, according to the most recent figures. About 250 correction officers work there.

Arnone doesn’t expect layoffs. Employees at Enfield Correctional would be redirected to vacancies within the department, he said.

The state’s prison population averages about 17,628, according to a report this month. That’s down nearly 4 percent from the same time last year and set a 10-year low. The number of inmates has been declining since February 2008, when it reached 19,894.

Arnone said the reasons for that steady decline include an aging prison population, decreased recidivism, and inmates reaching the ends of their sentences.

New proposals before the legislature aim to accelerate the decline, Arnone added.

One plan lawmakers have proposed is called “intensive probation.” It would allow offenders to serve their sentences under house arrest or in a halfway house. State supervision would be double that of a normal probation, Arnone said. It could reduce the prison population by as many as 1,000 inmates in the first year alone, he said.

Malloy advanced another proposal, which would expand the early release program by enabling certain inmates to earn credits to reduce their sentences.

The aim is to keep violent offenders in prison but allow others to get out early, Arnone said. The program could offer credits for classes or programs that have been shown to cut recidivism, he said.

“It’s not a matter releasing dangerous people into the community,” Arnone said. “This is a trimming around the edges. It isn’t a huge release program.”

Prison guards disagree.

“By pushing these inmates out who aren’t ready, they’re just going to be back in — after harming the public,” said Jon Pepe, president of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Local 391, which represents correction officers at each of the prisons in north-central Connecticut.

The union is planning a campaign on TV, radio, and billboards with the slogan “savings over security” to criticize the plans. Lawmakers are too focused on saving money and not enough on public safety, Pepe said.

The campaign could resonate as the capital felony trial of Joshua Komisarjevsky begins. Komisarjevsky faces a possible death sentence for what prosecutors say was his role in the murder of a woman and her two daughters in a 2007 Cheshire home invasion. He and Stephen Hayes, who has been sentenced to Death Row for his role in the slayings, were on parole at the time of the murders.

The crimes led to a parole moratorium and toughened penalties for burglars and repeat violent offenders.

Sen. John A. Kissel, R-Enfield, represents a district with six prisons. He said Tuesday he’s “monitoring it very closely,” and plans to talk to prison guards about their concerns.

Layoff Notices Could Go Out To State Employees Next Week

2011-04-26T22:07:00.000-04:00

Malloy: Spending Cuts, Not Taxes, Would Fill Budget Gap If Union Can't Agree To $1 Billion In Savings

By CHRISTOPHER KEATING,The Hartford Courant

Layoff notices could go out as soon as next week if negotiators cannot reach a deal with state employee unions to provide $1 billion in concessions and savings in each of the next two years.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy told reporters that Friday, May 6, is an important date because it is exactly eight weeks from the start of the state's new fiscal year, which begins Friday, July 1. Union contracts require eight weeks' notice for the most senior employees before they can be laid off, and Malloy wants any savings from layoffs to begin at the start of the fiscal year.

If the $1 billion in savings is not achieved, he said, he would bridge the resulting budget gap with spending cuts, not tax increases. Malloy said no additional taxes would be proposed beyond the $1.5 billion tax package approved last week by the tax-writing finance committee.

Negotiators have gotten back to work after a lull for the Easterholiday weekend, but Malloy declined to provide details about the substance of the closed-door talks. He did say he is asking state legislators to vote on the state budget as soon as possible.

When asked for an update on the union talks, Malloy said, "No smoke today.'' That was a reference to the Roman Catholic tradition of sending white smoke up the Sistine Chapel chimney to signify the election of a new pope.

Both the Malloy administration and the unions have abided by a confidentiality agreement they made to avoid any public discussion of the talks. House Speaker Christopher Donovan, a longtime union supporter, said Tuesday night that he did not know the details of the ongoing talks.

"I'm not involved, and people think I would be involved,'' Donovan said. "When I run into [union] people, they don't tell me anything.''

When asked if reaching $1 billion in savings from the unions is achievable, Donovan said, "I have no idea.''

Some insiders said that the Malloy administration was pushing hard for a budget vote in the House of Representatives, even if it came this weekend.

"I don't think so,'' Donovan said of a possible weekend vote. "There is no reason to do it that quick.''

Donovan, though, said he does not expect major changes to a budget deal that is "99 percent'' complete and approved by both the budget and tax committees.

"We worked out a lot of this already,'' he said. "There'll be some trimming around the edges.''

Donovan's policy analyst and union liaison, Rick Melita, said that he, too, is unaware of the progress of the confidential talks.

Roy Occhiogrosso, Malloy's senior adviser, said the administration is following the requirements of the contracts regarding potential layoff notices. He said Tuesday that he was unaware if commissioners were compiling specific names of employees to be laid off.

Both the state House of Representatives and the Senate will be in session Wednesday at the state Capitol, but no votes on the budget are scheduled.

Appropriations Committee Passes Call for Study of Pension Spiking

2011-04-25T20:35:00.000-04:00

The Appropriations Committee passed a measure Monday that would require the Programs Review and Investigations Committee to conduct a study aimed at curbing retirement “spiking” by state employees.

Spiking refers to the act of boosting one’s retirement benefits. Since pension benefits are calculated in part by averaging income earned during the highest earning three years, this is typically done by taking on additional overtime during the last three years.

Some supporters of the concept said that curbing the practice may not require a study. Sen. Rob Kane, R-Watertown, said that the committee could try to address the issue on its own. He offered an amendment to that end.

It would have adjusted the statute to require retirement income to be calculated by the highest five years of income, rather than the highest three.

Read the rest of the story here: http://www.ctnewsjunkie.com/ctnj.php/archives/entry/appropriations_committee_passes_call_for_study_in_to_pension_spiking/

Malloy: managerial cuts sought by GOP, labor won't come immediately

2011-04-20T17:37:00.000-04:00

April 20, 2011

By Mark Pazniokas

MERIDEN -- It is one area where state employee unions and Republicans agree: The ranks of state managers need to be sharply cut. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said today those reductions are coming, but they will not be reflected until the second year of his two-year budget.

"There are lots of assumptions built into the second year of this budget that absolutely require us to create those kinds of efficiencies," Malloy said after a speech to the Chamber of Commerce in Meriden.

But the governor said he wants to make those reductions in an orderly fashion after seeing the results of his administration's continuing talks with state employees over his demand for $1 billion in labor savings.

"What I'm saying is I need a budget, and then I'll give you a more detailed plan on how we're going to get from one point to another. I need to know what road we're going down," Malloy said.

Complaints from state employees about the bloated ranks of managers at many agencies were a staple at the 17-stop listening tour on the budget recently completed by the first-year governor.

"Let me assure you, I believe those cuts need to be made," Malloy said.

Malloy later clarified that every one of his commissioners already has been told to begin to flatten the layers of management, but those savings cannot be reflected in the first year of his budget, because they will evolve as his administration consolidates agencies and functions.

"It's ongoing as we speak. It will continue to be ongoing. And until I know where the concession package is going, it's difficult to tell," Malloy said.

Malloy's administration is in talks with a coalition of state employee unions, seeking $1 billion in labor savings in the first year of the biennial budget. If the talks fail, the governor has promised thousands of layoffs.

"Let me assure you, if I am laying off thousands of people, a lot of them are going to be managers as well," Malloy said.

The legislature's Republican minority Tuesday proposed cutting 1,380 managerial positions as part of an alternative budget that the GOP says could erase a $3.2 billion deficit without Malloy's proposed $1.5 billion in tax increases.

Malloy was dismissive today, saying the GOP plan relies on $500 million in unspecified savings and an unrealistic estimates of savings through efficiencies and elimination of Medicaid fraud.

"Those are the kinds of budgets that got us into this hole to begin with," Malloy said.

The governor, who previously had promised to eliminate longevity payments to top appointees, had no explanation as to why several commissioners he retained from the administration of Gov. M. Jodi Rell received the payments.

"Actually, I will look into it," Malloy said. "I don't have an answer to that."

Inmate Who Attacked Corrections Officer Pleads Guilty

2011-04-13T20:07:00.000-04:00

The original story is here: http://correctionalofficersafety.blogspot.com/2010/01/i-thought-i-was-gonna-die-correctional.html

Robin Elliott will serve an additional 15 years for assault of officer Peter Kuhlmann.

By Erin Quinlan http://ellington-somers.patch.com

On Monday, the inmate who attacked Northern Correctional Institution corrections officer Peter Kuhlmann - Robin Elliott - pled guilty and will be receiving fifteen years consecutive to his current sentence.

Elliott, 58, was already incarcerated for first degree unlawful restraint and was serving a sentence that carried a maximum of 70 years. He had an estimated release date of March 3, 2047 and a maximum release date of May 16, 2061.

In December 2009, Kuhlmann was attacked by Elliott who was allegedly "having a bad day." Kuhlmann had his throat slashed and was helped by the quick thinking and actions of fellow corrections officer Michael Whitehead.

In November 2010, Whitehead was awarded with the Connecticut Department of Corrections Medal of Valor.

Inmate Sentenced To 4-1/2 Years For Beating Correction Officer

2011-04-13T19:59:00.001-04:00

This was the original story: http://correctionalofficersafety.blogspot.com/2010/01/two-correctional-officers-speak-out.html

By CHRISTINE DEMPSEY,

The Hartford Courant

VERNON—

An inmate who helped beat a correction officer, giving him a severe concussion, was sentenced to 4-1/2 years in prison Friday in Superior Court in Rockville.

Jordan Hinton, 22, pleaded guilty to assault on a public safety officer before Judge Terence Sullivan.

The attack was on Sept. 18, 2009, said Matthew Gedansky, Tollandstate's attorney. On that day, Hinton "struck him with his hands and feet," he said. Hinton and another inmate continued their assault even as the officer fell to the floor, he said.

The sentence is separate from the two-year sentence Hinton was serving for possession of a firearm.

The tense dance of Dan Malloy and organized labor

2011-04-11T09:13:00.000-04:00

April 8, 2011

By Mark Pazniokas

www.ctmiror.org

State employee unions spent hundreds of thousands of dollars last year to elect Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. Now, they must decide if it is worth $1 billion in concessions to make him a success.

Malloy's political future is in their hands, just as it was in the frantic final days of the 2010 campaign when labor played a pivotal role in electing the first Democrat in a generation by the closest margin in 56 years.

Malloy with AFSCME's Larry Dorman (l), Sal Luciano (r).

Their friend is demanding $1 billion in labor savings. The number is unprecedented. But without it, or at least a good portion of it, Malloy's budget falls apart, very likely a fatal blow to their ally on other issues.

It is labor's dilemma.

"Our number one concern is always to our members," said Sal Luciano, the executive director of AFSCME Council 4. "But yes, we're also concerned about him politically, because we did put in an enormous amount of energy to help get him elected."

Luciano said it is Malloy's dilemma, too. When labor places its final concession offer on the table--something Malloy says must happen within weeks--the governor knows that a failure to amicably resolve the concession talks would be devastating to everyone.

In an interview, Malloy did not disagree with the notion that his re-election in 2014 could be decided by his first budget and his relationship with labor, but he said that is not part of his conversations with union leaders.

"I'm not arguing about four years from now," Malloy said. "But the reason that it's better for them that it's me than somebody else is I like them. I support them. I believe in organized labor. But I also believe in a strong management team. Quite frankly, Connecticut hasn't had a strong management team for a long, long time."

Protracted budget fights wear on governors.

In October 2002, Gov. John G. Rowland had a 62-percent approval rating in the Quinnipiac University poll as he began a war with labor over concessions that ended with 3,000 lay offs.

By March 13, 2003, even before his corruption issues dominated the news, his approval rating had dropped to 33 percent, with voters blaming his handling of the budget.

Sal Luciano of AFSCME

"In the end, it benefits no one if this whole thing blows up," acknowledged Roy Occhiogrosso, Malloy's senior adviser.

The result is a remarkable public dance as Malloy and the unions warily circle each other.

"If Jodi Rell put forth a budget calling for $1 billion in concessions, they would be picketing the Capitol, the Executive Residence and maybe even her house in Brookfield," said Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, R-Fairfield. "They haven't offered one word."

Instead of picket lines, Malloy was welcomed last weekend during an unpublicized appearance during the social hour of an AFSCME convention in Groton. The invitation had been extended before the demand for concessions, but the union reaffirmed that Malloy was welcome.

"It was cordial," said Larry Dorman, an AFSCME spokesman. "The mood was positive."

Malloy did not downplay their difficulties, Luciano said.

"Seven times, he said, 'Times are tough.' One time, but at least he said it, he thinks maybe we come out of this all right. Now, what exactly that means..." Luciano laughed. "...is subject to debate."

It is not entirely true the unions have been silent. Union members have been a presence at each one of Malloy's 16 town-hall meetings on the budget, pressing him for a more progressive tax structure. Occasionally, there are flashes of anger on the part of individual members.

In New Britain, the audience applauded when Marybeth Kaczynski, an AFSCME member employed at the Department of Children and Families, told Malloy she resented the make-or-break demand for givebacks.

Marybeth Kaczynski of AFSCME

"I'm tired of being a punching bag for the state of Connecticut," Kaczynski said. "Shouldn't your budget ask more of people who can afford it?"

Sitting six feet away was John McNamara, the Democratic town chairman, one of many New Britain politicians who endorsed Malloy early over his rival for the Democratic nomination, Ned Lamont.

"It's asking for the impossible to ask for $1 billion a year in concessions," McNamara said. "He has an impossible situation."

McNamara is not a disinterested party, politically or personally. He wants to see a Democratic governor succeed, but he, too, has money on the line: He is a unionized employee of the state community college system.

"He has a lose-lose situation," McNamara said. "The allies of 2010 are going to have a difficult few months."

But, as McKinney noted, the restraint is remarkable.

Steve Curran, a correction officer at Garner, a high-security prison housing inmates with mental-health issues, is an active AFSCME member, but he has stayed away from the town-hall meetings for fear of letting his anger show.

"It's tough," Curran said. "I'm three months into a four-year marriage with the guy."

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy

There still is hope the marriage can be saved.

But Curran, who came to the Legislative Office Building this week to testify against bills hostile to labor--bills, incidentally, that Malloy opposes--offered another, less-flattering family analogy about labor's ambivalent feelings toward Malloy.

"It's like a step-dad we're not sure if we like or not," he said.

Even as he demanded a seemingly impossible $1 billion, Malloy has taken difficult, politically risky steps that labor appreciates, primarily his proposal to raise taxes by $1.5 billion, rather than gutting state aid to municipalities or making deeper cuts to the state budget.

"There are some things he is doing that other governors aren't doing, and we recognize that. I mean, he actually is talking about raising taxes," Luciano said. "We may not like where those taxes are right now."

Malloy has signaled he is open to a more progressive income tax structure sought by labor, so long as Connecticut can remain competitive with surrounding states, but he will not go above $1.5 billion in taxes -- and may even go lower, if he has blow up his budget.

"I've got to keep in balance the concept of shared sacrifice, so what I'm saying is we are not going to ask the taxpayers for any more money than that," Malloy said. "In a reconfigured budget, I'm not guaranteeing you I'm going to ask for that."

The governor expressed frustration that the concession talks have not moved faster, but he conceded that labor and the legislature have been taking his measure.

"I think that too few people knew me well enough up here to understand that what I said is what I mean. And perhaps, part of this has been the process to make sure that people understand, as opposed to some of the politicians they have dealt with in the past in this very seat, when I say something, I mean it. If I said it was $1.5 billion at the most, that's all I'm ever going to sign off on. And if I said I needed a billion dollars, I need a billion dollars."

Malloy is no stranger to bargaining with unions. As mayor of Stamford for 14 years, he frequently clashed with labor.

"Getting a negotiated settlement with the police was almost always impossible. Fire was always difficult, and everyone else, I think, we always settled. But if you remember five years ago when I was running for governor, I didn't have much labor support, in part, because, I think, if you really scratch the surface, I held a management position, which required that I bargain on behalf of the people of Stamford, the taxpayers," Malloy said.

In recent days, Malloy has increased the pressure on state employees. He has said failed concessions will lead to cuts in aid to municipalities, which would lead to lay offs of union members at the local level. And this week, his administration issued lay off instructions to his agency heads.

"I think I've done what I need to do to remind people there is a calendar, and there's an option," Malloy said. "That's all we're doing. I'm not trying to be provocative."

Malloy also has continued to back other elements of labor's agenda, a reminder to labor it might be nice to have a functioning Democratic governor for a while. That agenda includes an expansion of collective bargaining rights to managers and a bill requiring private employers to offer paid sick days. Malloy said those positions have helped to lower the rhetoric around the concession talks.

"I think it makes it hard for them to demonize me," Malloy said.

There also is a simpler reason, a case for restraint that can be summarized in two words: "Governor Foley."

If Malloy is fatally wounded in his first year, the unions know that the election of a Republican governor is likely in 2014, and Tom Foley, the 2010 GOP nominee, is planning a rematch. Foley had vowed to balance the budget with no new taxes, an even uglier prospect that an awkward dance with a friend who wants $1 billion in concessions.

"If Tom Foley was the governor, we'd be on the menu," said Lori J. Pelletier, the secretary-treasurer of the Connecticut AFL-CIO. "With Dan Malloy elected governor, we're at the table."

A Show of Strength and Solidarity at the Legislative Office Building

2011-04-02T18:32:00.003-04:00

Remember your green shirt!

CODE ORANGE: There is a Show of Strength and Solidarity rally at the Legislative Office Building on Tuesday April 5th, 2011. There are several bills before the Appropriations Committee that want to strip us of our collective bargaining rights, arbitration, health care, and hazardous duty pension benefits. Please take a moment out of your day to be at the Legislative Office Building on Tuesday April 5th, 2011 1:30pm - 7pm and show our elected officials that these basic employment rights are important to us. WEAR A GREEN SHIRT TO SHOW SOLIDARITY!

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Department Of Correction To Close Second Prison

2011-04-01T16:21:00.000-04:00

The Connecticut Department of Correction announced it will be closing a second prison, the Gates Correctional Institution, on June 1 due to budgetary concerns, according to Commissioner Leo C. Arnone.

The closing of the correctional institution will save taxpayers an estimated $12.3 million a year, Arnone stated in a press release distributed Friday. He also stressed that none of the approximately 270 correctional professionals employed by the facility will be laid off as a result of the closing.

"The agency will work with these staff members to re-deploy them to other facilities in proximity to Gates," Arnone said.

In January 2010, the department closed its first correctional facility, the Webster Correctional Institution in Cheshire. Arnone said the closing has saved the state $3.4 million a year.

Connecticut gov. sees leaner prison system

2011-03-16T05:27:00.000-04:00

The governor has been pursuing a plan designed to make the DOC "smaller, leaner and more efficient," according to his undersecretary for criminal justice policy and planning

By Luther Turmelle
New Haven Register

NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- When new Gov. Dannel P. Malloy addressed his first graduating class of state correction officers recently at the Maloney Training Center in Cheshire, he made a promise to give corrections workers every consideration in budget deliberations.

But Malloy's vow is not reflected in his budget plans for the state Department of Correction for the next two years.

"At no time will the fate of the Correction Department, its officers or any of their loved ones be far from my thoughts," Malloy told the 77 graduates and their families as he discussed the tough economic times the state is facing.

But even before he spoke those words, the governor had already begun pursuing a plan designed to make the department "smaller, leaner and more efficient," according to Michael P. Lawlor, Malloy's undersecretary for criminal justice policy and planning.

The Department of Correction has a $718 million budget for this fiscal year and sought $783 million for fiscal 2011-2012, Lawlor said. Malloy has proposed giving the department $739 million for next year and wants to reduce the DOC budget to $704 million for 2012-2013, he said.

Lawlor said Malloy is proposing the budget reductions because he wants to make changes to the judicial system that would cut expenses for both the DOC and the state's court system. Those changes include:

A--Decriminalizing possession of less than 1 ounce of marijuana, turning it into an offense that is equivalent to a traffic ticket.

A--Taking individuals found guilty of driving while intoxicated and minor drug violations out of the state's prisons and sentencing them to house arrest, which would be enforced using technologies such as global positioning systems.

A--Using a system of "risk reduction credits." Certain categories of prison inmates would be eligible for the credits, which would reduce the amount of time they have to left serve, if they agree to take part in programs such as drug treatment or vocational classes that would theoretically make them less likely to engage in criminal activity on the outside.

Even without any of these programs being implemented, Lawlor said the state's prison population has gone from a high of 19,900 three years ago to the current 17,700 inmates. Lawlor said that trends suggest the state's prison population will decline by 400 to 500 inmates over the rest of this year.

"The decline will be even steeper if those changes are enacted," he said.

Lawlor said it isn't unreasonable to expect that within a year or two, the state's inmate population could dip to 16,000. And if that happens, he said, it will give state officials the option "to take two or three (prison) facilities off line."

"It doesn't have to be whole facilities; it could be portions of them," Lawlor said. "And they could be closed in such a way that if they ever needed to be used again in the future, they could be."

Lawlor noted that the decline in the inmate population has already enabled the state to successfully closed the Webster Correctional Institution in Cheshire last year. Closing the minimum- security prison saves $3.4 million annually.

"It used to be all of the state's prisons were overcrowded," Lawlor said. "Now there's just a little bit of overcrowding here or there, in specific locations."

And in part because of those pockets of overcrowding, Lawlor said he doesn't believe a reduction in inmates will mean any layoffs for correction officers. Any officers affected by either full or partial closures of prisons would be redeployed to other facilities, he said.

The DOC has added 215 new correction officers since December, including those sworn in Tuesday. And Brian Garnett, a spokesman for the agency, said correction Commissioner Leo Arnone is seeking Malloy's permission to enroll another class of correction officers later this year.

Garnett said the new graduates and the next class of trainees are needed because the DOC has seen its average number of retirements more than double in the last several years.

"Twenty or 30 years ago, we built a lot of new facilities in Connecticut and hired a lot of corrections officers to staff them," Garnett said. "Those officers are now approaching 20 years and are eligible for retirement. So where before we averaged 12 to 15 retirements, we're now averaging 30 or more a year."

I Still Stand With Dan

2011-03-11T10:05:00.000-05:00

Over the last few months I have received several e-mails and phone calls from several Correctional Staff asking what happened to Governor Malloy's support for us? I have not spoken to Governor Malloy since he was a candidate. He has publicly said he wants 2 billion dollars in concessions from State Employees. What exactly does he want from us? We don't know yet. As frustrating as it is we have to be patient and let our Union Leadership negotiate with his Administration.

Think back to 2009 when Governor Rell asked for concessions. She never showed up at any rallies or went on CNN to to defend our rights as Union Members. Governor Malloy has shown courage and has made hundreds of public appearances to explain his budget. He is not hiding behind his desk. If your mad at Governor Malloy, think what it would have been like to have "Governor Foley" to sit down and negotiate with. If you need an example, look at New Jersey's Governor Chris Christie who regularly bashes his state employees in the media.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

What can you do? Attend your local's Union Meetings. Respectfully let your Union Leadership how you feel. Be part of the solution. E-mail Governor Malloy and tell him where the pork is that can be cut. http://www.ct.gov/malloy/site/default.asp

Keep the faith. I Still Stand With Dan.

LABOR HOT OVER MALLOY PROPOSAL TO REQUIRE LEGISLATIVE VOTES ON AGREEMENTS/AWARDS

2011-03-10T08:51:00.000-05:00

The Hanging Shad

Gov. Dannel Malloy wants to require that the legislature vote on any collective bargaining agreement or binding arbitration award with unions and labor leaders are not happy about it. The issue comes up as the Malloy administration is starting negotiations to try to secure $2 billion in concessions over two years from the state employee unions to balance the state budget. And to make things even more complicated, a state senator known as a major supporter of labor supports the governor on the “required vote” proposal.

Tucked into a bill that would implement the governor’s budget is a provision requiring the legislature to act on the agreements and awards. Currently, either the state senate or house can vote on them if they so choose but they very rarely, if ever, do. Rather, the agreements and awards are routinely allowed to simply sit on the chambers’ calendars for 30 days after which they become law.

AFL-CIO President John Olsen tells The Hanging Shad he doesn’t like the governor’s proposal and likes the timing of it even less. “It has nothing to do with the budget. Where does this come from? Also, this is not the message you want to be sending [while negotiating concessions],” he said. Olsen noted that the legislature already has the right to vote on such issues. He adds that he opposes any proposal that would weaken the binding arbitration process.

Read the rest of the story here: http://scullycommunications.com/archives/1663

Corrections unions to pose stiff test for Malloy's negotiators

2011-03-09T05:58:00.000-05:00

Brian Lockhart, Staff Writer

www.ctpost.com

Front-line state corrections workers make up one of the largest of Connecticut's bargaining units.

They earn more overtime than government bean counters want to see, particularly in the face of a $3.2 billion deficit.

They were the only unionized workers in 2009 to refuse a wage freeze.

And in the coming months theirs is the first contract Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has to renew, even as the former Democratic mayor from Stamford seeks voluntary concessions from the rest of the state work force. "That's going to be very interesting," said House Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero, R-Norwalk.

While a majority of state union contracts expire in 2012, the pact with nearly 5,000 corrections officers and other front-line prison workers expires June 30.

Malloy, who inherited early talks when he succeeded Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell on Jan. 5, declined comment. But his budget proposal shows the new administration is intent on slashing prison costs, including personnel expenses.

A memo from union leadership warned of a tough fight. "These negotiations are moving slowly and do not promise to get any easier," it read.

Corrections requested a $783.2 million budget for fiscal year 2011-'12, and Malloy recommended $739.6 million. In year two of his budget Malloy knocked the department's $776.6 million request down to $704.2 million. It is also intent on reducing the personnel budget from $468.7 million to $451.5 million in 2011-12 and to $419.4 million the next year.

Benjamin Barnes, head of the state Office of Policy and Management, said much of that savings can be realized by further reducing the prison population of 17,746 inmates. OPM in January reported that figure is the lowest in a decade.

Malloy wants to allow certain inmates to earn credits toward early release and he has proposed replacing prison sentences for drunk driving and minor drug offenses with house arrest.

The administration also is hoping to tackle what it views as an overtime problem among corrections officers with scheduling practices unique to that department. "And they tend to have extremely high utilization of sick time compared to any other bargaining units or functions of government," Barnes said, acknowledging the 24/7 nature of housing prisoners presents challenges.

Council 4 of the American Federal of State, County and Municipal Employees represents corrections workers, the majority of whom are corrections officers but also parole officers, treatment officers, maintenance and culinary staff.

Union spokesman Larry Dorman said the prison system is understaffed. "Corrections isn't just about economics," Dorman said. "It's about making sure we have appropriate staffing and the prison environment is safe and secure for the people who work there, public and inmates."

A former Rell administration official, who declined to be identified, said corrections' scheduling has long been a source of concern. But the official said it is difficult to negotiate with the union because it has a lot of leverage.

Although Malloy has threatened layoffs if unions do not help him close the deficit, the Rell official said, "At the end of the day it's very difficult to lay off corrections officers ... And I think that's why they didn't feel they needed to participate (in the 2009 wage concessions)."

Rell, in return for the givebacks, guaranteed no layoffs for two years. Corrections unions did agree along with other bargaining units to contribute more to their health and pension benefits.

But Cafero argues the reduced prison population leaves corrections staffers vulnerable to layoffs.

Dorman said the 2009 concessions snub was the result of a history of bad treatment from Rell and her predecessor, Republican John Rowland.

"We understand that the state is facing very challenging economic circumstances," Dorman said. "Corrections officers walk an incredibly dangerous beat and we hope we could find some common ground with the state to recognize the difficulty and dangers of the job."

Recently retired state Rep. Cameron Staples, D-New Haven, ex-chairman of the legislature's Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee, said Malloy's approach to the corrections contract will likely affect ongoing concession talks with other unions and next year's negotiations with those bargaining units.

"It's an interesting challenge to have corrections up first," Staples said. "In the end all of those discussions are going to be interrelated."

Staff Writer Brian Lockhart can be reached at brian.lockhart@scni.com

GOV. MALLOY REAPPOINTS CORRECTIONS COMMISSIONER LEO ARNONE

2011-03-04T12:37:00.000-05:00

(HARTFORD, CT) - Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that he has reappointed Department of Corrections Commissioner Leo Arnone of Somers. Arnone is a 22-year veteran of the Connecticut Department of Corrections. He also worked for 12 years in the state Judicial Branch, and for 3 years at the Department of Children and Families. Arnone is currently the interim commissioner at DOC, originally appointed by Governor M. Jodi Rell.

"Leo is well-liked by staff at the department and well-respected by members of his peer community," said Governor Malloy. "He believes, as I do, that public safety comes first, but we also need to spend less and find ways to reduce recidivism in our inmate population. His ties to community-based providers and his special insight into early intervention and juvenile justice programs are also of particular interest to me as we find ways to reform our criminal justice system."

"I'm looking forward to working with Governor Malloy - a former prosecutor and someone who deeply believes in the reformation of our current system," said Arnone. "With my career spanning two branches and as many departments, I have a broad understanding of the ways in which we can better address the needs of our criminal justice system."

Read the rest of the story here: http://www.governor.ct.gov/malloy/cwp/view.asp?Q=474842&A=4010

Unwarranted attacks on union

2011-03-04T11:49:00.000-05:00

Attacks on unions and givebacks — here we go again.

This Letter appeared in the March 3rd Journal Inquirer

Many of you reading this have heard all this before. Each and every time the corrections union goes for a new contract the state claims it is in the midst of a financial crisis and we are to blame. Nothing could be further from the truth.

We, as prison employees, have given back more than any other bargaining unit in the state. We have made “shared sacrifices” by ourselves while the rest of Connecticut sacrificed nothing.

This latest uproar reminds me of the 1990s when, after years of no raises or contract, our arbitrated raises got rejected (financial crisis), then they imposed the income tax, leaving us with less than what we started with five years prior.

Now we are being asked for a second straight year to give back and accept tax increases making our pay go down twice as much as anyone else. We never got our concessions back during the good times, so now we are saying enough.

Stop believing in a formula where the public is being asked, Why should union employees have what you don’t have? Instead ask yourselves, Why don’t I have a decent wage, affordable health care, and a pension? This is why you live in America, isn’t it?

Corporations are raking in the bonuses while stripping your retirements, slashing pay, and crying foul when asked to provide some sick time and health care. Do you realize that the super-rich are funding the campaign to destroy unions and are using you also? Why are they doing this? Is it for you, the people they don’t pay or provide benefits for, or is it for themselves, as the unions are the last line of defense between the rich and poor?

My members serve the public every day in the most hazardous environment in the state. They do it without complaint.

What does make them complain is the misinformation of how selfish and greedy they are, knowing they have given back the most of all over the years. Stop being used by the corporations and support us so we can support you and your fight for a decent life.

Jon T. Pepe

The writer is a correction officer and president of the Connecticut State Prison Employees Union AFSCME Local 391.

Now wait just a minute…

2011-03-03T19:18:00.000-05:00

Really, Now wait just a minute…

Sometimes pollsters get it wrong

The Hartford Courant is reporting on a Quinnipiac Opinion Poll that reports that Americans Believe Public Employees Should Pay More For Benefits.

The Courant story goes on to caution that although these are national results and not specific to Connecticut it would appear to be “good news” for Governor Malloy who is pushing for $2 billion in concessions from state employees.

Arthur “Jerry” Kremer, a former New York state legislator backs up the premise saying “I think this helps [Malloy's] efforts to find fresh dollars” in the form of concessions. Kremer goes on to say that even though these are national results “the feelings are the same in Connecticut and all the adjoining states. This is a viral movement.”

Read the rest of this fascinating story here: http://jonpelto.wordpress.com/2011/03/03/now-wait-just-a-minute…/

Malloy preparing for a visit to the House of Labor

2011-03-02T21:53:00.000-05:00

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's complicated relationship with the House of Labor enters a new phase this week as his administration formally opens concession talks and Malloy addresses a public gathering of union leaders and members.

Malloy, whose mother helped found a municipal union, is not new to labor relations that are nuanced, to say the least. As an urban mayor for 14 years, Malloy knew cycles of labor peace and strife, respect and enmity.

But what is labor to make of a Democratic governor, a man whose half-a-point victory they helped assure, who strenuously defends the rights of labor on national television, while mentioning he might have to lay off "thousands and thousands and thousands" of state employees?

The coalition of state employee unions has been engaging Malloy publicly with the care of a diplomat, registering expressions of concern, but saying nothing that could derail a relationship that still is slowly unwinding.

"We're early in what's going to be a long process," said Larry Dorman, a spokesman for SEBAC, the State Employees Bargaining Agents Coalition.

On Wednesday, the administration and the unions have what Malloy calls their first formal meeting on his demand for $1 billion in labor savings, a number that provokes skepticism at the Capitol, given that total wages and benefits are worth about $5.4 billion. They also have been talking informally.

Malloy will address an invited audience of union leaders and representatives on Friday at a session he asked his labor commissioner, Glenn Marshall, to arrange with John Olsen, the longtime president of the Connecticut AFL-CIO.

Read the rest of the story here: http://www.ctmirror.org/story/11702/malloy-readying-visit-house-labor

Connecticut is not Wisconsin… Right? Right?

2011-03-02T14:20:00.000-05:00

(As the Malloy Administration and Connecticut State Employee Unions prepare to meet today… )

Connecticut is not Wisconsin, right? Right, Connecticut is not Wisconsin. But let’s not fool ourselves – read on…

Unlike Wisconsin, Connecticut has a Democratic Governor who supports the right of people to join unions and collectively bargain and we have a Republican Party that is not following in the footsteps of the ultra-right, ultra-crazy tea-baggers and their post-modern Republican converts.

That is good news for Connecticut’s unions, their members and society as a whole.

But recognizing the American right to join unions is not a progressive or liberal position.

As has been widely reported in recent days, when Ronald Reagan stood up for the people of Poland in 1991, he reminded that world that “one of the most elemental human rights [is] the right to belong to a free trade union”

Read the rest of the story here: http://jonpelto.wordpress.com/2011/03/02/connecticut-is-not-wisconsin…-right-right/

Officer forced to reveal Facebook page; ACLU claims privacy invaded

2011-02-23T15:27:00.000-05:00

Now this is scary..

Division of Correction suspends such demands during review of job applicant process

A corrections officer from Baltimore says he was required to hand over his Facebook password to an investigator as part of a job reapplication process, and had to watch as his personal page and its postings were perused.

Robert Collins, 29, complained to the American Civil Liberties Union that his privacy had been invaded, and now, the state Division of Correction is backing off, saying it will suspend such demands for 45 days during a review of the matter.

In an interview Wednesday morning, Collins said his immediate reaction to the investigator's request "was one of disgust and shock," but that he was told such demands were "part of the hiring process." Collins, who ultimately was reinstated as a corrections officer — a job from which he had taken a four-month leave of absence after his mother died — said he had "no choice" but to agree to the investigator's demand.

Read the rest of the story here: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-officer-facebook-password-20110223,0,4568785.story

Just Look at them – The Damn State Employees and their Damn Pensions

2011-02-21T05:48:00.000-05:00

Listening to the Governor and some elected officials, one of Connecticut’s most significant problems are the excessive pensions state employees receive. Governor Malloy has called for a billion dollars in state employee concessions and one of the items he has highlighted is the need to reform Connecticut’s state employee pension program. Other politicians and newspaper editorials have hailed his tough talk.

So let’s explore some of these issues – starting with state employee pensions.

Today’s question is – What is the Average Annual State Employee Pension?
(a) $26,900
(b) $31,900
(c) $36,900
(d) $41,900
(e) $46,900
(f) $51,900

The correct answer is (b). Of the nearly 40,000 retired state employees who collect pensions, the average pension amount is $31,900 per year.

Read the rest of the story here: http://jonpelto.wordpress.com/2011/02/20/just-look-at-them-–-the-damn-state-employees-and-their-damn-pensions-2/

Correctional Officers & Lieutenants Schedules Under Attack...

2011-02-18T19:32:00.001-05:00

A number of changes are also made to the prison system including what appears to be the closure of another prison and an interesting $10 million reduction that the Governor’s budget describes as resulting from a “unspecified schedule change for Correction Officers and Correctional Lieutenants.”

By Jonathan Pelto
Friday, February 18, 2011 10:15am
As the details of Governor Malloy’s proposed budget are better understood; the positive and negative elements of the budget plan will continue to surface.
Overall, Malloy’s General Fund budget only increases the level of state spending by 1.8 percent, an extraordinary achievement considering the many pressures and challenges that face that state. The budget also includes some major transportation initiatives that mean that when the Transportation Fund portion of the budget is added in to the total, the overall state budget is proposed to grow by 2.4 percent.
Read the rest of the article here: http://www.newhavenadvocate.com/peltos-point/as-we-learn-more-about-connecticuts-new-proposed-budget-2-18-11-044166

Ct Employee Union President Stunned By Governor’ Request For $2 Billion Concessions

2011-02-16T11:21:00.000-05:00

By George Gombossy, CT Watchdog.com

Sal Luciano, executive director of Council 4 AFSCME, representing 18,000 Connecticut state employees, said Tuesday on the Watchdog News Hour that he was completely taken by surprise earlier in the day when he learned that the man he and his union supported for Governor wanted the workers to give $1 billion dollars in concessions for each of the next two years.

Luciano, in the 45 interview on www.OnTheHORN.com radio/television Internet program, said the request does not make sense since state employee wages only account for $4 billion of the annual Connecticut budget. Our second guest was Fairfield County writer and former Stamford Advocate Business Editor Mike Barlow, who discussed how social media should be used by executives. He is the author of The Executive’s Guide To Enterprise Social Media Strategy’

Luciano said state union leaders have met with representatives of Gov. Malloy over the past two weeks and proposed hundreds of millions of dollars in savings without having to curtail staff or benefits.

Read the rest of the story here: CT Watchdog

Malloy's $1 Billion Demand: Impossible

2011-02-15T18:46:00.001-05:00

If you think $1 billion in savings from state employees in an $18 billion state budget is a reasonable goal, consider some basic, round-numbers arithmetic.

There are 50,000 state employees. If it costs the state $100,000 to pay each one, including salaries and benefits, that's $5 billion in all. So, $1 billion would be 20 percent of that.

Early signs show that Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is a great manager, more of a listener than an ideologue, with a balanced, rational philosophy about making up the state's $3.7 billion shortfall. The tax increases announced Monday seem to spread the pain around fairly evenly without making Connecticut's precious employers head for the Virginia hills.

But if Malloy thinks he can extract $2 billion in savings over the next two years from state employees, he'll need to pull out a trick of historic proportions. "Neutron" Jack Welch at General Electric and "Chainsaw" Al Dunlap at Scott Paper and Sunbeam, legendary corporate cost-cutters in the '80s, never did anything quite like this, and they had iron-hand control.
Click here to read the rest of the article: http://www.courant.com/business/hc-haar-0216-20110216,0,5616174.column

CTNJ-TV: Gov. Malloy Talks About $2B In Labor Savings

2011-02-15T11:46:00.001-05:00

Thanks to CTNews Junkie for filming this. http://ctnewsjunkie.com/ctnj.php

TurtleSkin Unveils Two New Law Enforcement Gloves

2011-02-12T19:56:00.000-05:00

TurtleSkin Bravo Glove

LAS VEGAS -- Warwick Mills, Inc., makers of the patented TurtleSkin fabric, unveiled two new Law Enforcement gloves at the 2011 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, NV. The gloves are an addition to the existing line of TurtleSkin Law Enforcement Gloves that the company currently offers (TurtleSkin LE Gloves).

Both gloves were designed with an overall vision to represent the best balance of two factors: protection and comfort. TurtleSkin LE Protective Equipment spokesperson, John Cronin, said that after conducting many interviews with police and corrections officers, there was a clear need for a glove that was both puncture- and cut- resistant while also providing a snug, comfortable fit (allowing for dexterity and sensitivity). Read the rest of the article here: http://www.lawofficer.com/article/industry-news/turtleskin-unveils-two-new-law

Facebook Firing Case Reaches Settlement

2011-02-08T09:05:00.000-05:00

By MARA LEE maralee@courant.com

The Hartford Courant

The ambulance company that fired Dawnmarie Souza after she commented on her Facebook page that "Frank" was a jerk has settled the case with the National Labor Relations Board.

The groundbreaking case was scheduled to go to a hearing Tuesday, at which the NLRB would have argued that Souza's December 2009 firing was improper — in part because her remarks about her supervisor outside the workplace were protected, even those posted on the Internet.

Instead, American Medical Response of Connecticut Inc. agreed to revise its rules so that employees can discuss working conditions outside work without fear of discipline or termination. NLRB had said AMR's rules were "overly broad … regarding blogging, Internet posting, and communications between employees."

The NLRB's complaint in October against the New Haven company marked the first time the agency, which enforces laws that protect the right to organize, has argued that an employee could be protected from firing for this kind of Internet post.

Souza, a paramedic for AMR in New Haven, posted the comment on her Facebook page on the same day she was suspended from work after refusing her supervisor Frank Filardo's request to write up a report on a complaint about her performance. Management rejected her request for union representation.

According to a source close to the case, Souza said that she wasn't talking about Filardo, but another Frank, and that the company misinterpreted the post. But even if she was complaining about Filardo, the NLRB said, it was protected activity because employees have the right to discuss work conditions with each other.

The NLRB complaint has also charged that AMR "illegally denied union representation to the employee during an investigatory interview shortly before the employee posted the negative comments on her Facebook page."

Under the terms of the settlement approved Monday by Hartford NLRB Regional Director Jonathan Kreisberg, AMR promised, in addition to changing its rules on employee complaints, that it would not deny employee requests for union representation and would not threaten employees with discipline for requesting representation.

The company did not respond late Monday to a question about whether Souza will be rehired, and had said in the past that her firing was not for her Facebook post, but for "multiple, serious issues."

In the three years before her firing Souza had missed a lot of work because of treatments and follow-up surgeries for breast cancer. Her illness was not part of the NLRB's case.

Legal experts have said the Souza-AMR case would be groundbreaking for unionized workers, but would probably not affect the rights of most nonunion workers, who typically are employed "at will," meaning they can be fired for any reason as long as it does not illegally target them on the basis of race, age or other protected categories.

Terms of the settlement, including payments to Souza and conditions she must meet, were not made public by the NLRB, which announced the settlement. The deal cancels a scheduled hearing before an administrative law judge of the NLRB, who would have decided on the NLRB's complaint.

Souza declined to comment Monday after the settlement was announced.

CT--Prisoner Health Care

2011-02-06T12:20:00.000-05:00

www.courant.com

HARTFORD, Conn. —

A $100 million contract for the University of Connecticut Health Center to provide care for prisoners faces new scrutiny, with some legislators suggesting the cash-strapped government could reduce the cost by opening it to bids from private entities.

The exclusive contract with the state teaching hospital, which dates to 1997, covers care for more than 19,000 offenders incarcerated at state prisons or assigned to halfway houses.

"Although I'm sure UConn does a great job, why not take a look at this because there could be private nonprofit providers or whoever that can possibly do it at a more effective result and a lower cost as well," said Sen. Rob Kane, R-Watertown, the ranking Republican senator on the General Assembly's Appropriations Committee.
Connecticut's general fund budget for the new fiscal year, which begins July 1, is estimated to be about $3.5 billion in deficit or nearly 20 percent of general fund spending.

Given the state's fiscal crisis, now is a good time to review the contract and potentially open it to competition, said Rep. Bryan Hurlburt, D-Tolland, a new member of the Appropriations Committee.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, a Democrat, is expected to present his two-year budget proposal on Feb. 16. His budget director, Benjamin Barnes, said the administration is willing to take a look at the contract between the health center and the state's Department of Correction for possible savings.

However, he said the state needs to be careful not to harm the health center, which recently learned it will not receive a $100 million federal grant it was counting on to help with a major, planned expansion and renovation project.

"We have to understand that right now this is part of how UConn Health Center is sustaining itself and if we save a little bit of money in our corrections budget, at the cost of destabilizing our medical school at the UConn Health Center, then we have to make a decision whether that's worth it," he said.

Brian Garnett, a DOC spokesman, said the prison department has a partnership with UConn that has "provided an appropriate level of care to the offender population while at the same time holding the line on the cost to the state."

He said the budget for 2011 is $98.6 million and costs since 2007 have hovered between $94 million and $100 million.

One contractor, Steve Wheeler, president of Virginia-based MHM Services Inc., said his company is interested in providing inmate mental health services in Connecticut.

He said the company might be able to provide the same services for less, but it is difficult to know because the state has not allowed other entities to bid on the contract.

"Our whole question just becomes, why not look at things competitively? Then at least you know you've got the very best deal," said Wheeler, whose company works with correctional departments in 16 states.

Messages seeking comment on possible privatization of inmate care were left with a UConn Health Center spokeswoman.

Inmates are typically less healthy than the general population, with significantly higher rates of medical and psychiatric disease prevalence, according to UConn's Correctional Managed Health Care annual report for July 2009 to June 2010. Forty percent of the inmate population, or 7,608 people, were on medications as of June 2010.

It cost CMHC $4,780 per inmate last year to provide health services including medical, dental and mental health.

A U.S. Supreme Court ruling determined that incarcerated individuals have a constitutional right to health care, whether they are sentenced or not. That means they have the right to competent medical care that's equivalent to the community standard.

Ziemba accepts plea deal in correction officer assault case

2011-01-28T18:56:00.002-05:00

By Karen Florin

Publication: theday.com

Duane Ziemba, who was to go on trial today for assaulting a correction officer at Corrigan Correctional Institution, accepted a plea offer from the state in which he will serve a six month prison sentence consecutive to 18-year sentence he is serving now for auto theft.

Ziemba, 42, of Middletown, has been in and out of the prison system since 1984 and has a history of problems with the correction department. He was once convicted of assault on a correction officer, but in another case was awarded $250,000 by a federal jury that found he had been abused.

This morning, Ziemba pleaded guilty to second-degree breach of peace. He pleaded guilty under the Alford Doctrine, which indicates he does not agree with the state’s allegations but does not want to risk conviction at trial, which could result in a harsher sentence.

According to the Department of Correction, Ziemba’s anticipated release date is in 2014.

Inmate's troubled past includes winning $250,000 in abuse case

A state prisoner who is set to go on trial in Norwich today for assaulting a correction officer at the Corrigan-Radgowski Correctional Institution in Montville has a long and troubled history with the state Department of Correction.

Duane W. Ziemba, 43, of Middletown, has been in and out of prison since 1984 and is serving an 18-year sentence for car theft. His criminal history includes a 2008 conviction for the same crime with which he is now charged - assault on a public safety employee. In the latest case, the state alleges that in September 2009, Ziemba elbowed a correction officer who was trying to restrain him when he became agitated during a discussion about his cellmate. The correction officer suffered a shoulder injury, according to the state.

In 2006, a federal jury awarded him $250,000 for prisoner abuse. The case involved a 1998 incident at the Northern Correctional Institution, the maximum security facility in Somers where problem prisoners are housed. Ziemba, upset that he was not getting the treatment he wanted, ripped an intercom off the wall and smashed it against a sprinkler.

"He was tied face down to a bed frame for 22 hours, with no bathroom breaks, and was beaten and maced," said his attorney, W. Theodore Koch III of Lyme. "He says that ever since then he has been the victim of threats and retaliation for this lawsuit."

Ziemba filed another lawsuit in 2008, alleging retaliation, and says that the same officer he is accused of injuring told him he had better drop his "frivolous lawsuit" or he would be hurt, according to Koch. Ziemba had filed a grievance against the officer before the incident that led to his arrest.

Department of Correction spokesman Brian Garnett said he could not comment because of the pending litigation.

In one of his many self-authored legal filings, Ziemba wrote that he has attempted suicide multiple times while in prison and has been diagnosed with severe depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, impulse control disorder and antisocial disorder. In addition to the auto theft case for which he is currently sentenced, he has been convicted of larceny, burglary, interfering with police, resisting arrest, evading responsibility, escape from a halfway house and violation of probation.

Ziemba was set to go on trial in September, but Koch said he questioned his client's competency, and a judge ruled that Ziemba was not fit to stand trial.

He spent several months at the Whiting Forensic Institution and was restored to competency, according to Koch.

Before evidence begins today, Koch said he and prosecutor Thomad DeLillo would argue several motions before Judge Barbara Bailey Jongbloed.

Koch said he is trying to get admitted into evidence two documents that Ziemba alleges were authored by correction officials who were trying to silence him.

"One appears to be written by a lieutenant, saying, basically, 'We need to stop these lawsuits that Ziemba is filing and deprive him of law books, legal mail and legal copies,' " Koch said.

"Another document, apparently signed by a warden, said, 'I concur with this.' ''

A representative from the state Attorney General's office has said the documents are fraudulent, but Koch said they look authentic.

"They've got date stamps, signatures, etcetera," Koch said.

k.florin@theday.com

Malloy cuts longevity pay for some

2011-01-25T11:59:00.000-05:00

There are still plenty of perks that come with appointed positions in Governor Dannel Malloy's new administration, like six-figure salaries and robust pensions and health insurance.

But the Democrat has eliminated controversial longevity bonuses for commissioners, executive directors and others who had not been receiving them as of last October.

Hearst Connecticut Media Group a year ago reported about the little-known practice of rewarding union and non-union staffers on the job for at least 10 years with sometimes hefty payments issued each April and October. According to the state comptroller, last October's longevity bonuses paid to 31,757 workers cost the cash-strapped state $19.8 million.

More on the issues underling Connecticut’s State Employee Pension System

2011-01-25T11:51:00.000-05:00

Here is the problem: Connecticut’s State Employee Pension fund is significantly underfunded.

Back in 2000 Connecticut had put enough money aside to meet more than 63% of its state pension obligations.

However, repeated decisions by Governors Rowland and Rell with help and support from the Connecticut General Assembly and SEBAC (the state employee bargaining coalition) not to make necessary pension payments or reduce the level of pension payments that were made (along with early retirement incentives that pushed more people into the pension fund) reduced Connecticut’s funded pension ratio down to 44%.

Today, the State’s unfunded pension obligation is over $11.7 billion. (Or roughly a debt equal to $3,333 for every Connecticut resident). Connecticut owes that money. It will have to pay that money and it has not put aside the funds necessary to make those payments.

Connecticut’s system is one of them of the most underfunded systems in the nation.

Despite this situation, much of what we hear about Connecticut’s state employee retirement system is so laced with partisan rhetoric and false statements that makes it almost impossible to have a meaningful debate about the problem and it’s vital that the state engage in an honest discussion about the pension system and its problems based on the facts and not the hype…

The real facts are these.

Connecticut has 57,825 state employees enrolled in the state’s employee retirement system. Within that system are four separate pension program. The old Tier 1 state employee pension program, which was closed to new enrollees in 1984. Next the state adopted the Tier 2 program that began in 1985 and was then replaced by the revised Tier 2A program. Finally, the Alternative Retirement Program provides a retirement system for faculty and selected staff at Connecticut’s public colleges and universities. Instead of a pension these state employees receive what is in essence a 401(k) contribution that they can then take with them as their careers take them to other universities around the country. Members of the Alternative Retirement Program do not receive a Connecticut state pension.

Read the rest of this article by clicking here: http://jonpelto.wordpress.com/2011/01/25/more-on-the-issues-underling-connecticut’s-state-employee-pension-system/

Malloy on Conn. declaring bankruptcy

2011-01-22T14:46:00.000-05:00

Malloy on Conn. declaring bankruptcy: wtnh.com

Updated: Friday, 21 Jan 2011, 7:30 PM EST
Published : Friday, 21 Jan 2011, 4:46 PM EST

Mark Davis

HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) - Some members of Congress are reportedly looking for ways to allow states with massive red ink problems to declare bankruptcy, and it could happen in Connecticut.

Governor Dannel Malloy has said that Connecticut's deficit is the worst, per capita, in the entire country, even though California and Illinois have bigger numbers they are bigger states. 47 Governors, like Malloy, are facing massive red ink.

Reports from Washington today say that some members of Congress are quietly working on a plan to allow states to declare bankruptcy, so that like General Motors they can re-arrange their debt and other obligations.

Connecticut's new U.S. Senator, who was meeting with some municipal leaders in Danbury today immediately dismissed the idea.

"States really need to cut spending and put their fiscal houses in order without resorting to mass insolvency," says Sen. Dick Blumenthal (D).

Bankruptcy could allow state government to drastically change pension and benefit obligations to state employees, even the threat of the idea has state employee unions trembling.

The state unions declined to comment on the proposal as one person close to the leadership tells News 8 "we have a whole lot of agita about this, it's a political minefield."

"It would sort of shift the decision making from the legislature to the judicial branch, and you'd have the judicial branch overseeing the state's budget, so it certainly is a real drastic measure," says Rep. Vince Candelora (R).

Governor Malloy issued a statement saying "Connecticut is looking to embrace, not to escape the responsibilities of sound financial management. We will honor our obligations and do not intend to support proposals that would enable states to avail themselves of bankruptcy."

State prison population reaches lowest point since 2001

2011-01-21T13:48:00.000-05:00

With Connecticut's prison population now at a 10-year low, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's criminal justice policy advisor said Connecticut could make significant further reductions with new strategies for handling persons accused but not yet convicted of crimes.

Former state Rep. Michael P. Lawlor, who gave up his post as long-time co-chairman of the Judiciary Committee to head the administration's Criminal Justice Policy and Planning Division, said Thursday that the prison system's unsentenced population "is the thing that really jumps off the page right now."

Lawlor's division within the Office of Policy and Management reported this week that the overall incarcerated population fell to 17,746 on Jan. 1, 426 inmates below the level recorded Dec. 1 and 307 below Jan. 1 2010. More importantly, that's the lowest year-start population recorded since 2001, when 17,137 inmates were held.

But while 17 percent of Connecticut's inmates were unsentenced in 2001, that ratio had grown to 21 percent by the latest monthly population report released this week.

Read the rest of the story here: http://www.ctmirror.org/story/11254/prison-population-reaches-lowest-point-2001

Wait, What? Connecticut has more public employees than most states?

2011-01-21T08:40:00.001-05:00

A reasonable and “grown-up” discussion about Connecticut’s fiscal crisis requires that politicians us data in an honest and appropriate fashion and not seek to mislead the public.

Yesterday New York media outlets were reporting that newly inaugurated Governor Andrew Cuomo is “getting ready to announce layoffs of 10,000 to 15,000 employees.”

Meanwhile, here in Connecticut, the CTMirror ran a story two days ago entitled “For the first time, Malloy talks of cutting rank-and-file workforce”. The CTMirror was covering a conference in which Governor Malloy reinforced his commitment to reduce the number of state managers but then went on to imply that he may be proposing deeper cuts that would reduce the number of non-manager employees.

Read the rest of the article here: http://jonpelto.wordpress.com/2011/01/21/wait-what-connecticut-has-more-public-employees-than-most-states/

For the first time, Malloy talks of cutting rank-and-file workforce

2011-01-19T18:51:00.001-05:00

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy:
'We've got to get to the point where we're creating efficiencies'

CROMWELL -- Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has made it no secret he believes state government is top heavy.

But the new governor, who will deliver his first biennial budget proposal in four weeks, said Wednesday that state government needs to shrink at all levels.

Addressing the annual meeting of the Connecticut Council of Small Towns, Malloy told more than 300 municipal leaders gathered at the Crowne Plaza Hotel that his administration will follow their example as it grapples with a $3.67 billion budget deficit.

"Every one of you has squeezed out greater efficiency in your departments," Malloy said in his 30-minute speech, the first time a governor has addressed the coalition representing 120 small towns in six years. "You have found a way to do more with less."

The Stamford Democrat, who served as mayor for 14 years through 2009, stressed repeatedly during the gubernatorial campaign the need to reduce mid- and top-level management in state government, and to give more responsibility to rank-and-file employees. And Malloy didn't deviate from that position on Wednesday.

Read the rest of the story here: http://www.ctmirror.org/story/11228/malloy-tells-towns-state-must-downsize-just-they-have

3 guards hurt in scuffle at Northern

2011-01-11T16:46:00.000-05:00

By Journal Inquirer Staff

Published: Friday, January 7, 2011 1:06 PM EST

SOMERS — Three correctional officers at Northern Correctional Institution were injured Thursday afternoon when an inmate attacked one officer and the other two struggled to subdue the prisoner, a Correction Department spokesman said.

At about 3:30 p.m., an officer opened the inmate’s cell door to take him to the showers and, once the door was open, the inmate punched the officer in the face, Correction Department spokesman Brian Garnett said. That officer sustained bruises to his head and face, and the other officers sustained knee and wrist injuries as they struggled with the prisoner.

All three officers were taken to Johonson Memorial Hospital in Stafford, where they were treated and released, according to Garnett, who said he was not aware of any injuries sustained by the inmate.

Garnett refused to release the names of the inmate or officers involved in the incident.

The Correction Department and state police are investigating the matter, Garnett said. State police spokesman Lt. J. Paul Vance said he had no information about the incident early today.

Report: Connecticut Has Twice As Many State Government Managers As National Average

2011-01-10T22:40:00.000-05:00

By CHRISTOPHER KEATING,The Hartford Courant

7:56 p.m. EST, January 10, 2011

HARTFORD — Connecticut state government has twice as many managers as the national average, and a hand-picked group of advisers told Gov. Dannel P. Malloy on Monday that that disparity must end.

Malloy, who has decried a top-heavy state government since he was a Democratic candidate for governor, now has pledged to do something about it after taking the oath of office less than one week ago.

Malloy received the recommendation as part of more than 1,800 pages of policies and priorities for his new administration. Some recommendations will be included in Malloy's budget proposal next month, but others are long-term proposals that would be enacted over the next four years.

The report by Malloy's transition team covered 12 areas, including taxes, transportation, energy and housing. The section on the performance of state government said that it "is excessively hierarchical with multiple layers of management.''

While Connecticut has one supervisor or manager for every six front-line employees, the national average among state governments is one supervisor for every 12 workers, according to a bipartisan commission that recently studied the issue.

"The need to move to a flatter organizational structure with more authority vested in front-line workers must be addressed,'' the transition team's report said.

More than 35 members of Malloy's transition team gathered at the state Capitol to review the reports, and Malloy himself carried the thick reports in two boxes down to his office after the session ended. He told reporters that the layers of management would be reduced over a number of years.

"I didn't know until relatively recently — earlier than today — how out of whack we were with other states,'' Malloy said, adding that state government is "too top-heavy, too top-down.''

When asked by a reporter if any of the managers could be reassigned to other positions, Malloy responded, "Any openings in journalism?''

"I don't need any more experts in over-management. I've got enough of those,'' Malloy said. "I don't need any experts in surplus employment. I've got enough of those. Having said that, this is not necessarily a time that you want to push people out into a job market that doesn't exist.''

So you want to be a C/O.....

2011-01-10T21:38:00.000-05:00

The DOC Spends $750K a Year Dealing With Inmate FOI Requests

2011-01-07T20:53:00.000-05:00

by Hugh McQuaid | Jan 7, 2011 4:41pm
(0) Comments | Log in to Post a Comment
Posted to: Legal, State Budget

The Department of Corrections estimates that it spends at least $750,000 each year responding to Freedom of Information requests from its inmate population, according to a December report by the Office of Legislative Research.

The largest chunk of that spending, about $625,000, is attributed to staff hours spent responding to the requests, the report said. In a typical week, DOC staff members spend about 286 hours searching through records and redacting the social security numbers and home addresses of employees, the agency estimated.

Read the rest of the article here: http://www.ctnewsjunkie.com/ctnj.php/archives/entry/olr_report_the_doc_spends_750000_a_year_dealing_with_inmate_foi_requests/

More early retirement perks? Malloy says 'I wouldn't hold my breath.'

2010-12-28T16:09:00.000-05:00

Political Mirror

Keith M. Phaneuf

State government has a history of offering early retirement incentives to get out of its fiscal messes, but that's not a lock to happen in 2011 if Gov.-elect Dan Malloy's comments Tuesday were any indication.

Asked about recent comments from state legislators that more retirement incentives could be on tap after he takes office in January, Malloy, while cautious not to rule anything out, made it clear they aren't his preference.

"I wouldn't hold my breath on that one," he said.

The governor-elect was critical during the past fall's campaign of the fiscal gimmicks employed both by Gov. M. Jodi Rell and the last legislature to balance state finances without tax hikes or spending cuts.

Malloy stands to inherit a $3.67 billion shortfall built into the next state budget, a gap equal to nearly one-fifth of all current spending.

Though popular among workers, these incentive programs have been criticized by economists, some union leaders and others for providing illusory savings, offering a short-term reduction in salary costs that eventually is offset by larger, long-term losses suffered by a pension savings account robbed of investment earnings.

State government has offered five retirement incentive programs in the past two decades, providing them in 1989, 1992, 1997, 2003 and 2009.

The State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition blocked Rell's efforts in April to offer another incentive program in 2010, arguing the pension fund was too weak. The fund now holds less than 45 percent of the funds its needs to meet obligations to workers, its lowest point in more than two decades.

"We pointed out how years of hiring freezes and the loss of nearly 4,000 veteran state workers in 2009 created shortfalls in staffing for vital public safety, education, and health services," SEBAC spokesman Matt O'Connor said, praising Malloy for staying consistent with his campaign message. "We also made clear that another (early retirement incentive program) would blow a hole in the state's pension plan."

The unions want to meet with Malloy to consider several proposals to improve government efficiency and stabilize retirement benefits, including offering incentives to get senior workers to delay retirement and postpone drawing pension benefits.

Happy Holidays

2010-12-24T16:52:00.000-05:00

Please keep this in mind, Tonight and tomorrow there are Front Line Correctional Staff doing the thankless job of watching over our State's inmate population. They are missing time with their families because they are at work keeping us all safe. They are invisible and out of the public's eye. They are the Forgotten Officers / Nurses.

Prison population headed for five-year low

2010-12-20T09:17:00.000-05:00

December 17, 2010

By Keith M. Phaneuf

Ongoing efforts to combat recidivism and treat nonviolent offenders in community settings should push Connecticut's prison population under 18,000 and down to a five-year low, according to a new reportfrom state policy analysts.

The inmate population during the first week of December averaged 18,187, according to the Criminal Justice Policy and Planning Division within the Office of Policy and Management, falling for the third successive month.

But the latest number still stands marginally above the level the division originally projected for December 2010 nearly one year ago.

It also is nearly 2,200 inmates above the level state correction worker unions insist represents the prison system's true capacity, though labor spokesmen praised the legislature for ordering steps that have begun to mitigate overcrowding issues.

"We are approaching levels that we haven't seen since the beginning of Gov. (M. Jodi) Rell'sadministration," OPM Undersecretary Brian Austin Jr., who leads agency's Criminal Justice Policy and Planning Division, said Friday, adding there is an "excellent chance" Connecticut will continue to enjoy the steady, moderate decline it has witnessed for most of the past five years.

Though the prison population has increased steadily over the past two decades, particularly due to tougher sentencing policies enacted during former Gov. John G. Rowland's administration in the mid-1990s, it peaked in February 2008 when 19,894 people were incarcerated.

But the population grew by nearly 1,000 inmates in just seven months after the July 2007 home invasion that led to the slaying of a Cheshire woman and her two daughters. Rell temporarily suspended administrative review, an abbreviated process for reviewing inmates up for parole. During the interim, the governor and legislature overhauled the state Board of Pardons and Paroles, ending administrative review and adding several full-time board members with specialized knowledge in criminal justice issues.

State Rep. Michael Lawlor, D-East Haven, longtime co-chairman of the Judiciary Committee and Gov.-elect Dan Malloy's choice to succeed Austin when the new administration takes over next month, said the goal is to build on those population-reducing investments of recent years.

For example, recent efforts to expand funding for probation officers has allowed Connecticut to scale back incarcerations tied to probation violations - the single-most-common crime behind prison sentences, Lawlor said. If an officer has an overwhelming caseload and can't monitor offenders as closely, he added, it only is a matter of time before the most "high maintenance" individuals violate their probation and wind up in jail.

Connecticut is one of just six states that hold unsentenced prisoners in correctional facilities, rather than in a separate county jails or comparable regional institutions.

But Lawlor also praised the Judicial Branch's jail re-interview program, which re-examines the backgrounds of those who fail to make bond, for helping to reduce the unsentenced population. In many cases, he said, these cases involve nonviolent individuals in need of substance abuse treatment or mental health services - problems that can be addressed more cost-effectively in community-based settings, not in prison.

"We could definitely accomplish an even greater reduction by better managing the probation and the pre-trial population," Lawlor added. "It's simple: less crime, less spending. If you're careful, you can accomplish both goals."

But while the reduced inmate population is good news, the spokesman for the union representing more than 5,000 prison guards, probation and parole officers and other Department of Correction staff, Larry Dorman, said it's important to remember that overcrowding still remains a concern in many facilities.

"Safety and security are always going to be a concern for our members, but we still feel that there's probably 2,000 inmates over what we feel to be a normal level for the system," Dorman said Friday.

Matt O'Connor, spokesman for the union that represents about 600 prison guard supervisors, noted in the 2009 retirement incentive program alone, the Correction Department lost 400 staff, most of whom were involved with inmate supervision. "We still believe in some areas were are critically understaffed," he said.

Both Dorman and O'Connor added that their unions are hopeful that Malloy's administration will be receptive to addressing longstanding concerns about staffing shortages.

Holder-Winfield To Chair Judiciary Committee?

2010-12-18T19:38:00.000-05:00

This is good news for Correctional Staff Safety.

Holder-Winfield To Chair Judiciary Committee?

http://aconnecticutlawblog.com

Posted on December 17, 2010 by Ryan McKeen

Will CT’s Rookie of the Year Legislator, Gary Holder-Winfield be the next house chair of the legislature’s powerful judiciary committee?

Gary Holder-Winfield

When Representative Mike Lawlor and Senator Andrew McDonald left the legislature to work in the Malloy administration they created openings for the chairmanships of CT’s judiciary committee.

Holder-Winfield served on the judiciary committee during last session. He earned high praise from Lawlor for passing legislation to abolish the death penalty that was subsequently vetoed by Governor Rell.

Representative Holder-Winfield compiled an impressive record on the committee tackling issues such as diversity on the judiciary, the eyewitness ID bill, and opposition to prison based gerrymandering.

In addition, Holder-Winfield, like Mike Lawlor, was a key early supporter of Dan Malloy. At the democratic state convention, Holder-Winfield bucked New Haven’s delegation which unanimously supported Ned Lamont to support Dan Malloy. His early support of Malloy cost him a seat in the New Haven delegation to the convention.

There’s no question Holder-Winfield is on the short list of people who may chair the judiciary committee when the legislature opens session in a few weeks. In fact given his impressive legislative record, his staunch opposition to the death penalty, and his early support of Dan Malloy – one has to consider that Holder-Winfield to be the front runner to replace Lawlor.

Unions hopeful for cooperation with Malloy

2010-12-06T10:33:00.000-05:00

By Susan Haigh
Associated Press

Published: Monday, December 6, 2010 9:08 AM EST

HARTFORD — When Gov. M. Jodi Rell took office six years ago, she called state employee union leaders together and told them she wanted to improve relations with organized labor.

But aside from a 2008 meeting about the state’s fiscal problems, union officials say they’ve had little contact with the governor, a Republican. But they see new hope for cooperation and communication with the executive branch in incoming governor Dannel P. Malloy, the first Democrat to win the office in about two decades.

Many unionized state workers strongly backed the former Stamford mayor in this year’s election and hope he’ll deliver on his campaign promise to consider workers’ moneysaving ideas before turning to layoffs to deal with the state’s budget deficit.

“He’s been sort of a light, a bright day for state employees,” said Roberta Price, president of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Local 610, an administrative and clerical unit. “He’s willing to work with us. He’s willing to listen to us.”

Malloy is set to take office Jan. 5. About a month later, he’s expected to present a two-year budget. The new state budget beginning July 1 is estimated to have a deficit as large as $3.67 billion, which represents about 18 percent of estimated expenditures.

While Malloy’s Republican opponent in the election, Thomas C. Foley, didn’t rule out layoffs to help bridge the budget gap, Malloy has said he doesn’t want to lay off state workers. Instead, he’s talked about shrinking the ranks of management, pledging to reduce “the non-civil service, partisan political part of government” by 15 percent.

Malloy has also made it clear he’s willing to talk to the unions about their cost-savings ideas, even though they don’t involve givebacks.

“I’m not going to talk to anybody in the union movement until I’ve gone through with you the list of changes that your leadership says need to be made to make state government more efficient,” Malloy told a group of state employee union members and their representatives in March. “You have suggested hundreds of millions of dollars of savings and you have not received a response from state government. I will not be a governor who ignores you.”

The State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition, the group of union leaders that negotiates retirement and health benefits for about 45,000 unionized state employees, gave Rell a list nearly a year ago of suggestions to cut state costs and help boost job growth.

The list included expanding telecommuting and at-home work assignments to reduce fuel consumption, reducing bureaucracy by shifting resources from management to front-line workers, and allowing small businesses and nonprofits to join the state’s health plan — a bill Rell vetoed.

SEBAC’s list came about a year after Rell and SEBAC had reached a roughly $700 million concession agreement that included no layoffs for most unionized workers. Rell’s office said agreement was achieved through cooperation and respect for the unions.

“It was this governor’s administration that worked closely and in good faith with state employee unions to find savings during one of the most difficult economic times in our nation’s history,” Rell’s office said in a statement.

But union leaders were angered when Rell’s former budget director, Robert L. Genuario, dismissed the SEBAC ideas, saying they didn’t generate significant savings. Instead, Genuario unsuccessfully sought additional employee givebacks, such as more furlough days, limitations on accumulated vacation and sick time, and higher copays for prescriptions, doctors, and hospital visits.

Robert Rinker, the executive director of CSEA/SEIU Local 2001, said he believes Rell wasn’t willing to work with the unions on compromises where both the unions and the state could win, such as providing incentives to delay retirements. He said he’s hoping Malloy will avoid layoffs as attempts to streamline state government.

“The reason why we’re having an economic fiscal problem with the state is, it’s because people are out of work,” Rinker said. “I would argue that (Malloy’s) focus ought to be growing jobs and the economy.”

Officials Hope To Crack Cold Cases With Playing Cards: Cards To Be Used In Connecticut Prisons

2010-12-05T19:23:00.001-05:00

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Officials are hoping to crack cold cases in Connecticut with the help of playing cards.

The Department of Corrections said each of the playing cards, which will be used in state prisons, displays adifferent cold case.

Victims’ families were scheduled to meet with law enforcement officials at the state’s attorney’s office on Monday for the unveiling of the cards.

The cards will be given to all 18,000 inmates across the state in hopes it will jar someone’s memory and generate leads.

"While these crimes may be termed 'cold,' someone out there, somewhere, knows what happened to these people," said state Department of Corrections Commissioner Leo Arnone.

The cards highlight 52 unsolved homicides and missing person cases.

"This is an effort that we're beginning today that has worked successfully in other states," said Kevin Kane, chief state's attorney.

The cards display a photo of the victim and a short description of the case.

While the state does not expect the cards will bring a swift resolution to the 52 highlighted cases, they do believe every tip generated will have the potential to bring law enforcement one step closer to obtaining justice for victims and a sense of closure for surviving family members, like Gloria Jean-Bell, who's son, Edward, was killed.

"I'm just like a dead woman walking," she said. "So if anybody, anybody knows anything about my son's death, I wish they would please come forward."

Northern Guard earns Medal of Valor

2010-12-03T16:25:00.000-05:00

By Geeta Schrayter

Journal Inquirer

Published: Friday, December 3, 2010 12:07 PM EST

At a ceremony the state Department of Correction held Monday, a correctional officer at the state’s maximum-security prison in Somers received the Medal of Valor for saving his colleague’s life.

Correctional Officer Michael Whitehead, 28, was recognized at a graduation and annual awards ceremony at the Maloney Center for Training and Staff Development in Cheshire. Whitehead received the medal of valor following an incident last year where he risked his life to save another correctional officer.

On Dec. 22, 2009, an inmate with a history of staff assaults exited his cell at the Northern correctional Institution in Somers and assailed Correctional Officer Peter Kuhlmann, 42, with a weapon he’d created using a razor blade as the tip, Correction Department spokesman Brian Garnett said.

The inmate slashed Kuhlmann across the neck before Whitehead intercepted, jumping in front of the inmate and apprehending him with “no regard for his own safety,” Garnett said. At the time of the incident Whitehead had started with the Correction Department just four months prior

Kuhlmann was rushed to the hospital with a two-inch laceration and puncture wound, yet because of Whitehead’s actions he’s alive today, he said.

Kuhlmann was on stage as Whitehead received his award to personally thank him, Garnett said.

Gov. M. Jodi Rell attended the ceremony, and 138 new staff members were also present. The new staffers witnessed the awards ceremony prior to their graduation, showing them the various virtues and involvement of their Correction Department staff. Many other awards were also given out during the event.

Facebook Firing Case Could Set Precedent

2010-11-06T06:05:00.000-04:00

Gripes Online Could be Protected

By MARA LEE, maralee@courant.com

11:12 a.m. EDT, November 5, 2010

American Medical Response forbids employees "from making disparaging, discriminatory or defamatory comments" about the company, superiors, co-workers or competitors. But the National Labor Relations Board has filed a complaint over the ambulance company's decision to fire a New Haven-area employee for complaining about her boss on Facebook.

Labor lawyers on both the employees' and the management sides say this is a groundbreaking case.

Discipline and termination of employees because of Facebook posts has been litigated before, but this is the first time the NLRB, a federal agency responsible for enforcing laws that protect the right to organize, has suggested that this kind of post could be protected.

Her supervisor, Frank Filardo, initially asked her to write up an incident report on a client's complaint about her work. She asked for a Teamsters representative to be present. Management refused and threatened her with discipline because of her request, according to the complaint filed by the NLRB's Hartford office.

Later that day, from her home computer, Souza wrote a negative comment on her Facebook page about "Frank," and a co-worker chimed in.

According to a source close to the case, Souza said that she wasn't talking about Filardo, but another Frank, and that the company misinterpreted the post. But even if she was complaining about Filardo, the NLRB says this is protected activity because employees have the right to discuss work conditions with each other.

Leon Rosenblatt, a labor lawyer who represents employees and unions, said the law already protects this kind of talk on e-mail or a listserv.

"I certainly do think they could prevail," Rosenblatt said, referring to the NLRB and the employee. "We could see more and more this in the future."

Saranne Murray, a labor lawyer at Shipman & Goodwin who represents management, said the case is complicated by the union rep issue, but added: "I think there are arguments to be made on management's behalf that if she posted a comment that was disparaging of her supervisor, that would be disruptive of working relationships, and therefore not protected."

Souza said she couldn't comment on the case, and the Teamsters also declined to comment. According to a story in the East Haven Courier, Souza was battling breast cancer from 2007 to 2009.

The company released a statement saying it strongly disagrees with the NLRB's allegations. "Although the NLRB's press release made it sound as if the employee was discharged solely due to negative comments posted on Facebook, the termination decision was actually based on multiple, serious issues," the statement said.

For most non-union employees, a ruling in Souza's favor would have no bearing on whether they could be fired for their own Facebook gripes.

" 'Employment at will' means you can be terminated or disciplined for a good reason, bad reason or no reason at all, as long as it's not an illegal reason," Rosenblatt said.

But if someone wrote on Facebook that he was sick of having to work unpaid overtime, for instance, even non-union workers could fight a firing because reveals illegal activity by employers.

The company and Souza will testify in front of an NLRB judge in January.

Karen Jarmoc for State Senate

2010-10-25T13:47:00.000-04:00

May 2009 Karen speaks to Correctional Officers at Corrigan CI
during a protest about excessive discipline
by the DOC Management.

My journey with this blog started in February 2008. I was seeing Correctional Staff at Northern CI being violently assaulted by inmates at an alarming rate. In March 2008 I reached out to Senator Kissel for help. I received no return call or e-mail. I e-mail State Representative Karen Jarmoc (who I did not know at the time), and she called me back 20 minutes later. We met for coffee, and I explained to her my concerns for the safety of the Correctional Staff at Northern. We had some serious problems with assaults, blood exposures, Freedom of Information abuse by inmates, MRSA, and inmates fashioning weapons out of retrofitted wall lockers in their cells. Karen rolled up her sleeves and went to work for all Correctional Staff across the State. I have seen first hand Karen’s commitment to the Health and Safety of Correctional Staff. In 2008 Karen urged Speaker of the House Jim Amann to form the Correctional Staff Health and Safety Task Force. Karen was appointed the Chairwoman, and she drafted and passed 2 bills for Correctional Staff Safety. One of those bills Governor Rell vetoed, and Karen convinced her fellow State Representatives and Senators to override Governor Rell’s veto. I can honestly say that we are safer because of Karen, but we still have some work to do. That is why I am urging everyone who reads this blog to vote for Karen Jarmoc for State Senate. If you don’t live in Karen’s district please tell your family and friends who live in Enfield, Somers, East Granby, Windsor, Granby, Suffield, and Windsor Locks to vote for Karen Jarmoc for State Senator on November 2nd.

Proposed law would limit prisoners' access to public documents

2010-10-17T08:00:00.000-04:00

By Ed Jacovino

Journal Inquirer

Published: Saturday, October 16, 2010 2:08 AM EDT

Prison inmates would be barred from requesting public documents related to anything other than defending their case or learning about their children, under a measure the Correction Department has proposed.

The proposed law — which the department submitted Oct. 7 to the governor’s office and to the Office of Policy and Management — sharply would limit inmates’ ability to use the Freedom of Information statute.

It comes after the Correction Department reported inmates asking for prison blueprints, photographs of their victims, and personnel files of prison guards.

“It has become very obvious that inmates in Connecticut have become very adept at using the FOI statutes for other than what they were intended,” Correction Department spokesman Brian Garnett said Thursday.

But the proposal faces opposition from the state Freedom of Information Commission and the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut. Representatives of the two groups say the proposal is unnecessary and goes against the public’s interest in transparency.

It also would limit prisoners’ ability to research things such as the nutritional value of meals and sanitary conditions at prisons, they said.

“By doing this, they would be really narrowly defining the kinds of things that one can access,” Colleen M. Murphy, executive director of the Freedom of Information Commission, said Friday. “This is kind of the hatchet approach.”

The proposed law is one of several from correction Commissioner Leo Arnone that could be up for consideration when the legislative session starts in January.

Another proposal would make the Correction Department the ultimate authority as to whether a document poses a risk for escape or for harm to prisoners or staff. Still another would bar inmates from accessing certain parole records.

The moves would be the next step in distinguishing between prisoners and others when it comes to open-government laws.

Further restrictions

In the prior legislative session, lawmakers passed a law barring inmates from obtaining personal information about prison staff — a measure Murphy and the ACLU also opposed. Under a law adopted in the 1990s, inmates are blocked from accessing prison blueprints, maps, and engineering designs.

Included in the Correction Department’s latest proposal is one that would make training manuals, internal security audits, and documents that indicate staff movement off-limits to the public, not just inmates.

Despite the objections, the proposals have initial support from high-ranking legislators from both parties, who say they’re open to taking them up in the coming session. Still unknown, they said, is whether the proposals will remain a priority when a new administration takes office in January.

Garnett said the proposals would serve two roles: Protecting prison staff and members of the public, and saving money.

“Over the past five years the number of requests from inmates has skyrocketed,” the Correction Department spokesman said, adding that the department has had to hire extra staff to handle the right-to-know requests.

He couldn’t put a figure on how much responding to the requests costs. If the department decides a document shouldn’t be released, it often must defend the position before the Freedom of Information Commission.

On safety, the problem is that inmates have tried to work around restrictions already built in the laws, Garnett said. Requests for police records are used to identify witnesses against them or keep track of gang activity outside the prisons, he said.

“Inmates are misusing the information for their own personal gains,” Garnett said.

Inmates’ rights

But Murphy, of the Freedom of Information Commission, disagrees on both points — safety and money.

Her staff hasn’t been significantly overwhelmed with the requests, she said. While the number of appeals to her office has increased, the proportion from prison inmates has remained the same, Murphy said.

And on safety, state law already restricts the release of information that could be used to harm prison officials or others inside the prison, she said.

The issue for the legislature is how to treat prisoners, Murphy said.

“Does it want to go the route of severely restricting access, or does it want to keep on the path — generally where we have been going — which is to take these things on a case-by-case basis?” she asked.

Andrew Schneider is executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut. He sees the proposal as an affront to open government.

“Prisons are public institutions funded with taxpayer money,” he said. “It is critical that such institutions be subject to the same, if not more, public disclosure as any other public institution.”

A prisoner’s right to access information is important because an inmate is sometimes the only one in a position to point out flaws in the system, he said.

In one state prison, for example, a Jewish inmate requested nutrition information on the cafeteria food to make sure it followed Kosher food laws, Schneider said. That wouldn’t be allowed under the proposals.

Access to air and water quality tests also are important to prisoners’ interests, but would be banned, he said.

“Prisoners may be behind bars, but they are still citizens,” Schneider said.

Backing the idea

Michael P. Lawlor, D-East Haven, is co-chairman of the legislature’s Judiciary Committee. He supports pursuing the legislation.

“When you’re an inmate, you give away a lot of the rights that ordinary citizens have,” he said.

So long as the restrictions aren’t cruel and punitive, he said, he would support them. “I would vote for anything that I think is reasonably related to the safety and security of the staff,” Lawlor added.

The proposal also could be an issue in the 7th Senate District. That district contains six prisons in Enfield, Somers, and Suffield.

Sen. John A. Kissel, R-Enfield, championed the bill that limits inmate access to prison staffers’ records as it made its way through the last legislative session. He’s the ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee.

Kissel said he was honored to hear that his case — inmates had requested access to his campaign donors — was cited as evidence for the new proposals. Campaign finance records show donors’ names, home addresses, and occupations.

He supports all of the proposals, but said he’d first consider hammering out an agreement with the Freedom of Information Commission.

“Too many public policies start off with the best intentions and they get a life of their own,” he said. “Now, the system is being gamed, and in particular by inmates.”

Rep. Karen Jarmoc, D-Enfield, is Kissel’s opponent for the state Senate seat. She said she wants to hear what other groups have to say on the issue, but supports the proposals as a means of blocking prisoners from harming guards.

“They find creative ways to try to gain information, and have used that as a way to try to threaten staff,” she said. “The safety of the people who are working in these facilities is paramount.”

Connecticut Correctional Officer Safety Forum

A Correction's Officer's Day

Contraband Seized From Cheshire Prison

Union Files Injunction to Stop Prison Closing

Fight Erupts At Garner Correctional Institution; Six Staff Members Injured

DOC Savings Plan Closes Enfield Correction Institution

by Hugh McQuaid | Jul 8, 2011 12:52pm

Official Asked To 'Stop Talking To The Press About SEBAC'

Prison Union Official Asks Outspoken Moises Padilla To "Stop Talking To The Press About SEBAC'' - Padilla Says Yankee Institute Is A Scapegoat In Ongoing Union Battles

Corrections President explains SEBAC No Vote

Is Labor Deal A Bargain?

Video: Bergin Correctional Staff receives "Pink Slips"

Money over Safety?

State Could Close Prison In Mansfield If 'Plan B' Cuts Enacted

Connecticut Discriminated Against Women: Federal Judge Rules Against Dept. of Corrections

Inmate Gets Five More Years In Prison Assault

Malloy delays layoff notices...

Enfield prison tops list of possible closings

By Ed Jacovino

Journal Inquirer

Layoff Notices Could Go Out To State Employees Next Week

Malloy: Spending Cuts, Not Taxes, Would Fill Budget Gap If Union Can't Agree To $1 Billion In Savings

Appropriations Committee Passes Call for Study of Pension Spiking

Malloy: managerial cuts sought by GOP, labor won't come immediately

April 20, 2011

By Mark Pazniokas

Inmate Who Attacked Corrections Officer Pleads Guilty

Inmate Sentenced To 4-1/2 Years For Beating Correction Officer

The tense dance of Dan Malloy and organized labor

April 8, 2011

By Mark Pazniokas

A Show of Strength and Solidarity at the Legislative Office Building

Department Of Correction To Close Second Prison

Connecticut gov. sees leaner prison system

The governor has been pursuing a plan designed to make the DOC "smaller, leaner and more efficient," according to his undersecretary for criminal justice policy and planning

I Still Stand With Dan

LABOR HOT OVER MALLOY PROPOSAL TO REQUIRE LEGISLATIVE VOTES ON AGREEMENTS/AWARDS

Corrections unions to pose stiff test for Malloy's negotiators

Brian Lockhart, Staff Writer

GOV. MALLOY REAPPOINTS CORRECTIONS COMMISSIONER LEO ARNONE

Unwarranted attacks on union

Now wait just a minute…

Malloy preparing for a visit to the House of Labor

Connecticut is not Wisconsin… Right? Right?

Officer forced to reveal Facebook page; ACLU claims privacy invaded

Division of Correction suspends such demands during review of job applicant process

Just Look at them – The Damn State Employees and their Damn Pensions

Correctional Officers & Lieutenants Schedules Under Attack...

Ct Employee Union President Stunned By Governor’ Request For $2 Billion Concessions

Malloy's $1 Billion Demand: Impossible

CTNJ-TV: Gov. Malloy Talks About $2B In Labor Savings

TurtleSkin Unveils Two New Law Enforcement Gloves

Facebook Firing Case Reaches Settlement

CT--Prisoner Health Care

Ziemba accepts plea deal in correction officer assault case

Malloy cuts longevity pay for some

More on the issues underling Connecticut’s State Employee Pension System

Malloy on Conn. declaring bankruptcy

State prison population reaches lowest point since 2001

Wait, What? Connecticut has more public employees than most states?

For the first time, Malloy talks of cutting rank-and-file workforce

3 guards hurt in scuffle at Northern

By Journal Inquirer Staff

Report: Connecticut Has Twice As Many State Government Managers As National Average

So you want to be a C/O.....

The DOC Spends $750K a Year Dealing With Inmate FOI Requests

More early retirement perks? Malloy says 'I wouldn't hold my breath.'

Happy Holidays

Prison population headed for five-year low

December 17, 2010

By Keith M. Phaneuf

Holder-Winfield To Chair Judiciary Committee?

This is good news for Correctional Staff Safety.

Holder-Winfield To Chair Judiciary Committee?

Unions hopeful for cooperation with Malloy

By Susan HaighAssociated Press

Officials Hope To Crack Cold Cases With Playing Cards: Cards To Be Used In Connecticut Prisons

Northern Guard earns Medal of Valor

By Geeta Schrayter

Journal Inquirer

By Susan Haigh
Associated Press