Prisons in Connecticut – An Overview of 14 Facilities

The state of Connecticut is home to several prisons that house inmates serving sentences for a variety of crimes. The Connecticut Department of Correction is responsible for overseeing the operations of these facilities, which serve not only to punish offenders but also to provide rehabilitation and reentry programs aimed at reducing recidivism rates.

In this article, we will explore the history and current state of prisons in Connecticut, as well as the challenges and opportunities facing the state in its efforts to ensure public safety and promote the successful reintegration of individuals into society after their release from prison.

Connecticut Prison Map

Use the Connecticut prison map below to locate any facility. Click on the map markers to read our detailed guide of that facility.

State Prisons

Prison Name	Location	Inmate Capacity	Security Level	Gender	Operator/ Manager
Bridgeport Correctional Center	Bridgeport	860	High-security	Male	Connecticut Department of Correction
Brooklyn Correctional Institution	Connecticut	N/A	Medium-security	Male	Connecticut Department of Correction
Cheshire Correctional Institution	Cheshire	1,580	N/A	Male	Connecticut Department of Correction
Corrigan-Radgowski Correctional Center	Montville	1,586	High-security	Male	Connecticut Department of Correction
Garner Correctional Institution	Newtown	N/A	High-security	Male	Connecticut Department of Correction
Hartford Correctional Center	Hartford	N/A	N/A	N/A	Connecticut Department of Correction
MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution	Suffield	N/A	High and maximum-security	Male	Connecticut Department of Correction
Manson Youth Institution	Connecticut	N/A	High Security	Male	Connecticut Department of Correction
New Haven Correctional Center	Connecticut	N/A	High Security	N/A	Connecticut Department of Correction
Osborn Correctional Institution	Connecticut	N/A	Medium Security	N/A	Connecticut Department of Correction
Robinson Correctional Institution	Connecticut	N/A	Medium Security	N/A	Connecticut Department of Correction
Willard-Cybulski Correctional Institution	Connecticut	N/A	N/A	N/A	Connecticut Department of Correction
York Correctional Institution	Connecticut	N/A	High Security	Female	Connecticut Department of Correction

Bridgeport Correctional Center

Bridgeport Correctional Center is a high-security state jail for men located in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Built in 1958, it houses both pre-trial defendants and sentenced offenders for the courts of Ansonia, Derby, Milford, Bridgeport, Danbury, Norwalk, and Stamford.

The original building on the prison campus was replaced in 1974 with a new addition, and the original building was turned over to the Bridgeport courts for use as judges’ chambers and housing for pre-trial detainees.

A fire in 1990 led to the demolition of the original facility, and all inmates are now housed in either cell blocks in the New Center or in one of three open dorm units: Madison, North Wing, and Memorial.

With a capacity of 860, Bridgeport Correctional Center is one of several prisons in Connecticut that serve to house and rehabilitate individuals who have been convicted of crimes.

Brooklyn Correctional Institution

The Brooklyn Correctional Institution is a level 3 medium-security facility located in Connecticut. Its mission is to hold offenders accountable while offering educational, vocational, and cognitive programming that helps them successfully reintegrate into society.

The institution offers extensive programming that includes GED, English as a Second Language, and Special Education, as well as vocational programs, business education, computer skills, and literacy volunteers. Additionally, the institution has sex offender programming, anger management, and substance abuse programming.

The Brooklyn Correctional Institution maintains high standards of professionalism, dignity, and respect for its inmates, balancing safety and security with compassion. It also assists surrounding communities with public service projects and charitable contributions to organizations fighting domestic violence.

Lastly, offenders speak to high school and at-risk youth about the importance of making positive choices and the negative impact of incarceration.

Cheshire Correctional Institution

Cheshire Correctional Institution is a state prison for men located in Cheshire, New Haven County, Connecticut. The facility was established in 1913 as the Chester Reformatory for male youths ages 16 to 24.

It was built partly by the inmates of the Wethersfield State Prison. In 1982, the state’s Manson Youth Institution opened adjacent to the Cheshire Correctional Institution, which was re-designated as an adult prison. The current capacity of Cheshire Correctional Institution is 1580 inmates.

The facility provides housing, medical, dental, and mental health services to the inmates. It also offers educational and vocational programs to help the inmates prepare for re-entry into society.

Corrigan-Radgowski Correctional Center

The Corrigan-Radgowski Correctional Center is a high-security prison that houses male offenders in the Uncasville section of Montville, Connecticut. This Level 3 & 4 facility was established on December 30, 1994, and is managed by the Connecticut Department of Correction.

The prison comprises two facilities, the Corrigan Correctional Institution, and the Radgowski Correctional Institution, which were merged in 2001 to form the Corrigan-Radgowski Correctional Center. This prison is named after two DOC employees, Raymond L. Corrigan and Stanley J. Radgowski Jr.

It is responsible for the incarceration of both pretrial and sentenced criminals, and the superior courts of Danielson, New London, Norwich, and Windham use this facility. The prison has a capacity of 1586 inmates.

Garner Correctional Institution

Garner Correctional Institution is a high-security facility located in Connecticut that incarcerates both pretrial and sentenced offenders. The institution offers innovative programs and interventions to help inmates reintegrate into society as productive members.

The facility is administered by Commissioner Theresa C. Lantz, who has consolidated care and treatment for adult male offenders with significant mental health issues throughout the Department of Correction at Garner. Offenders from throughout the system, both pretrial and sentenced, are assigned to this institution based on their mental health needs.

The facility’s staff uses a highly progressive mental health treatment approach, with individualized treatment plans, extensive programming and therapy, both in a group and one-on-one setting. The staff, both custody and mental health, operate through an integrated team approach, ensuring a continuity of custody, care, treatment, and control.

The program is designed to equip as many offenders as possible with the ability to function in either a general population prison setting or ultimately to life in the community.

Hartford Correctional Center

Hartford Correctional Center is a correctional facility located in Hartford, Connecticut. It was established in 1977, with Richard Wezowicz as its first warden. Currently, it is one of the 18 correctional centers in Connecticut, United States.

In March 2016, Hartford Decide$ set up a voting location at the facility so that inmates could vote on how the city’s money is spent. The center has also been visited by poet and former professor of English at Central Connecticut State University, Ravi Shankar, who wrote an op-ed about his experiences for the Hartford Courant.

While there is not much public information available about the center, it is an integral part of the correctional system in Connecticut.

MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution

MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution is a high and maximum-security level prison for adult males located in Suffield, Connecticut. It is the largest correctional facility in New England based on its inmate population.

The facility was established on May 15, 2001, through the merge of the Walker Reception and Special Management Unit and the MacDougall Correctional Institution. The prison resides on a spacious 140-acre land.

As a multi-mission correctional institution, it serves different purposes including intake, assessment, and classification of inmates, as well as providing treatment and programming for those who need it. Overall, MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution plays a crucial role in the Connecticut Department of Correction’s effort to ensure public safety.

Manson Youth Institution

The Manson Youth Institution is a high-security facility in Connecticut that houses male offenders ranging in age from 14 to 21. As the state’s only facility for male youth, it offers a range of programs, including educational, vocational, and addiction services, to help inmates develop positive skills and attitudes.

The institution is divided into ten separate buildings, each with three wings containing 12 cells, a day room, counselor offices, and mini kitchen.

The facility serves as the Department’s primary location for housing sentenced inmates under the age of 21, including chronic disciplinary inmates, close custody program, mental health, high security, and general population inmates.

To address the needs of the young population, the institution has established a youthful offender mentoring program that emphasizes the development of positive peer relationships, understanding criminal culture, substance abuse, basic life skills, employment counseling, and release planning.

New Haven Correctional Center

The New Haven Correctional Center, located in Connecticut, primarily houses pretrial offenders and serves several superior courts. As a level 4 high-security facility, it ensures the safety of the community and inmates.

The Mental Health Department offers various programs to support offenders experiencing stress and depression, including emotional literacy, community groups, and psycho-education.

Additionally, the Education Department has implemented a program to identify non-English speaking offenders and refers them to specialized educators for English language instruction. The New Haven Correctional Center prioritizes the rehabilitation and education of offenders to prepare them for successful re-entry into society.

Osborn Correctional Institution

Osborn Correctional Institution is a medium security prison in Connecticut that houses one of the largest inmate populations in the state. The facility is committed to its stewardship responsibilities to the citizens of Connecticut and the local communities of Somers and Enfield.

Operating under the Unit Management System, the facility has 17 inmate-housing units, each with its own specific institutional function. This system enhances safety and security by limiting inmate mass movement and providing controlled movement during daily institutional routines.

The facility also supports an inpatient medical hospital, a mental health unit, a comprehensive education program, an inpatient Addiction Services unit, and one of the largest Correctional Industries Programs in the state.

The Enterprise Program employs over 200 inmates who manufacture inmate clothing, mattresses, and run a full-service print shop. Additionally, Osborn is one of three facilities in the state that provides trained, offender hospice volunteers who provide end-of-life care to fellow inmates.

Robinson Correctional Institution

Robinson Correctional Institution in Connecticut is a medium-security facility that houses sentenced offenders. The facility places a great emphasis on programming and education for inmates.

It offers an extensive range of programming including in-patient substance abuse treatment and educational and vocational courses such as culinary arts, machine tooling, small engine repair, and community college courses. The institution also participates in the Town of Enfield Adopt A Spot program and provides community service to several towns.

Additionally, the facility assists various municipal and non-profit agencies in printing flyers and related materials. Overall, Robinson Correctional Institution provides inmates with opportunities for rehabilitation and personal growth through its various programming options.

Willard-Cybulski Correctional Institution

The Willard-Cybulski Correctional Institution and Cybulski Community Reintegration Center in Connecticut is a facility that aims to provide a safe, secure and humane environment for offenders.

The facility instills a high standard of accountability and responsibility among the offenders through a mandatory structured process. Privileges and awards are earned, and any offender who fails to meet the set standards will engage in a process of corrective action.

The facility has placed over 150 inmates daily in supervised community-based public service projects and work details, providing maintenance, assisting with community events, renovations, and painting to communities, the state, and local non-profit agencies.

The institution also prepares offenders for release back into the community with a wide range of programs and opportunities, addressing the causes and issues that brought them into incarceration.

Additionally, the facility accommodates many of the agency’s level two offenders with significant health care needs as it assumed a major role in the consolidation of medical services throughout the agency in 2005.

York Correctional Institution

The York Correctional Institution is a high-security facility in Connecticut that exclusively serves female offenders. It caters to all superior courts in the state and manages both pretrial and sentenced female offenders, regardless of their security level.

The facility boasts an array of positive interventions for its population, including the Marilyn Baker House, an 80-bed intensive, inpatient drug treatment unit. Additionally, the Hospice program trains inmate volunteers to provide end-of-life care to fellow offenders.

The Charlene Perkins Reentry Center, a 100-bed unit, prepares appropriate female offenders within 18 months for community reentry. The Department’s Correctional Enterprise of Connecticut runs a program at this facility in which offenders are employed on projects like tailoring offender uniforms.

Finally, the Girl Scouts Behind Bars program provides daughters of incarcerated women with enhanced visitation to reduce the possibility of recidivism.

Federal Prisons

Prison Name	Location	Inmate Capacity	Security Level	Gender	Operator/ Manager
Federal Correctional Institution, Danbury	Danbury, CT	N/A	Low	Male and Female	Federal Bureau of Prisons

Federal Correctional Institution, Danbury

The Federal Correctional Institution, Danbury (FCI Danbury) is a low-security federal prison located in Danbury, Connecticut. It is designed to house male and female inmates and is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice.

The facility has an adjacent satellite prison camp that accommodates minimum-security female offenders. FCI Danbury aims to provide a safe, secure, and humane environment for its inmates while promoting their rehabilitation and successful reintegration into society.

The facility offers various educational and vocational programs, including adult basic education, GED courses, and vocational training. Additionally, FCI Danbury provides medical, dental, and mental health services to its inmates.

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