Difference Between Connecticut Prison and Federal Prison
What is the Difference Between Federal Prison and Connecticut State Prison?
According to U.S. federal sentencing guidelines, persons found guilty of violating federal laws are tried and sentenced to federal prisons per the U.S. Federal Criminal Code. Federal crimes include terrorism, drug trafficking, bank robbery, and federal hate crimes.
Offenses committed across state boundaries or on federal property are also considered federal crimes. Federal crimes are usually prosecuted by federal agencies like the FBI, IRS, and DHS. The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) manages the administration of federal prisons.
On the other hand, state criminal codes like the Connecticut Penal Code define crimes against the state, including offense classification and applicable penalties. Connecticut classifies offenses into felonies and misdemeanors, with felony crimes considered severe and punishable by imprisonment for more than one year. Connecticut state prisons house inmates convicted of felony crimes in the state. The Department of Correction manages state prisons and correctional facilities.
More persons are convicted of state crimes than federal crimes in the United States; therefore, more state prisons are than federal prisons. Additionally, inmates in federal correctional facilities tend to serve longer sentences than those in state correctional facilities.
Federal and state prisons provide up-to-date information about inmates' incarceration through online locator tools. Additional information regarding court proceedings and sentencing details are also included in Connecticut inmate records maintained in the facilities where the inmates are housed.
The Connecticut Prison System
The Connecticut Prison System comprises the Office of Policy and Management, the Board of Pardons and Paroles, the Division of Criminal Justice, and the Department of Correction. The Office of Policy and Management maintains information about arrest warrants. The Board of Pardons and Paroles aims to reduce recidivism. While the Division of Criminal Justice maintains criminal records and offers information on cold case arrests and convictions, the Department of Corrections (DOC) oversees the Connecticut prison system.
The agency supervises and operates prisons and correctional facilities in the state. Connecticut has about 14 correctional facilities, which hold more than 9,000 inmates. However, DOC facilities do not only house convicted persons but also those awaiting trial.
How to Look Up an Inmate in Connecticut
The DOC maintains inmate accounts, inmate phone systems, and inmate databases. Other services under the DOC's purview include victim services, parole and community services, and fugitive tip lines.
Connecticut's Offender Information Search helps interested persons locate inmates in DOC facilities and provide information about their incarceration and location. Requestors may search for inmate information using the Connecticut DOC Inmate Number, the inmate's name, or birth date.
Interested persons may also send inmates money through Connecticut's Inmate Trust Fund (ITF) managed by the DOC. The ITF accepts money through various means, including certified checks, attorney checks, cashier's checks, refund checks, employer checks, social security checks, unemployment checks, veteran's administration checks, or tax refunds. All checks must include the inmate's names, birth date, and inmate number. Checks must also include the sender's address and full name. Parties may send checks to:
Inmate Trust Fund
P.O. Box 290800
Wethersfield, CT 06129-0800.
The following are the addresses and contact information of prison facilities in Connecticut :
Bridgeport Correctional Center
1106 North Avenue
Bridgeport, CT 06604
Phone: (475) 225-8000
Fax: (475) 225-8050
Brooklyn Correctional Facility
59 Hartford Road
Brooklyn, CT 06234
Phone: (860) 779-4500
Fax: (860) 779-4557
Cheshire Correctional Institution
900 Highland Avenue
Cheshire, CT 06410
Phone: (203) 651-6100
Fax: (203) 651-6069
Corrigan-Radgowski Correctional Center
986 Norwich-New London Turnpike
Uncasville, CT 06382
Phone: (860) 848-5000 (860) 848-5700
Fax: (860) 848-5821
Garner Correctional Institution
50 Nunnawauk Road,
Newtown, CT 06470
Phone: (203) 270-2800
Fax: (203) 270-2612
Hartford Correctional Center
177 Weston Street
Hartford, CT 06120
Phone: (959) 200-3000
Fax: (959) 200-3008
MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution
1153 East Street, South
Suffield, CT 06080
Phone: (860) 627-2100 (860) 292-3400
Fax: (860) 627-2144
Manson Youth Institution
42 Jarvis Street
Cheshire, CT 06410
Phone: (203) 806-2500
Fax: (203) 699-1845
New Haven Correctional Center
245 Whalley Avenue
New Haven, CT 06511
Phone: (203) 974-4111
Fax: (203) 974-4167
Northern Correctional Institution
287 Bilton Road,
POB 665
Somers, CT 06071
Phone: (860) 763-8600
Fax: (860) 763-8651
Osborn Correctional Institution
335 Bilton Road,
POB 100
Somers, CT 06071
Phone: (860) 814-4600
Fax: (860) 814-4826
Robinson Correctional Institution
285 Shaker Road,
POB 1400
Enfield, CT 06082
Phone: (860) 253-8000
Fax: (860) 253-8317
Willard-Cybulski Correctional Institution
391 Shaker Road
Enfield, CT 06082
Phone: (860) 763-6100
Fax: (860) 763-6111
York Correctional Institution
201 West Main Street
Niantic, CT 06357
Phone: (860) 451-3001
Fax: (860) 451-3200
Connecticut County Jails
While state prisons hold persons convicted of felony crimes or awaiting trials for felony crimes, county jails hold persons convicted for misdemeanors or who are awaiting trial for misdemeanors. Misdemeanors are punishable by incarceration for no more than one year; this means that county jails hold people for short periods and are therefore smaller in capacity and size. Local government agencies, such as county sheriffs and local police departments, maintain and oversee county jails' running. Interested persons may contact jail supervisors, local police departments, or county sheriffs for information about persons incarcerated in counties.
However, Connecticut does not operate county jails. While there are jails situated in Connecticut counties, the State Department of Corrections supervises all the state's correctional facilities. The DOC's mission also includes supervising inmates' re-entry into society.
How Does the Federal Prison System Work?
The federal prison system protects society by ensuring that persons convicted of federal crimes are incarcerated in safe and fair conditions and that such persons re-enter society as productive citizens. The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) oversees the federal prison system, including administering correctional facilities in the country. With 37,411 employees and 152,034 inmates, the BOP is one of the nation's largest agencies. The BOP helps interested parties find inmates in federal facilities through its Inmate Locator. Users may search using the inmates:
- First name
- Middle name
- Last name
- Race
- Sex
- Age
- FBI number
- INS number
- DCDC number
- BOP Register number
However, the BOP only has incarceration information dating back to 1982. Interested parties may find older records through the National Archives Records Administration (NARA).
