Connecticut HB 5567: AN ACT CONCERNING HEALTH CARE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION FACILITIES.

Bill Text

Substitute House Bill No. 5567 
 
Public Act No. 26-40 
 
 
AN  ACT  CONCERNING  HEALTH  CARE  IN  THE  DEPARTMENT  OF 
CORRECTION FACILITIES. 
Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  in  General 
Assembly convened: 
 
Section  1.  Section  18-81qq of  the  2026  supplement  to  the  general 
statutes  is  repealed  and  the  following  is  substituted  in  lieu  thereof 
(Effective from passage): 
(a)  (1)  There  is,  within  the  Office  of  Governmental  Accountability 
established under section 1-300, the Office of the Correction Ombuds for 
the  provision  of  ombuds  services.  The  Correction  Ombuds  appointed 
pursuant to section 18-81jj shall be the head of said office. 
(2) For purposes of this section, "ombuds services" includes: 
(A) Evaluating   the   delivery   of   services   to   persons   who   are 
incarcerated by the Department of Correction; 
(B) Reviewing     periodically     the     nonemergency     procedures 
established by the department to carry out the provisions of title 18 and 
evaluating whether such procedures conflict with the rights of persons 
who are incarcerated; 
(C) Receiving   communications,   including   telephone   calls   and 

Substitute House Bill No. 5567 
 
Public Act No. 26-40 2 of 37 
 
electronic  mail  from  persons  who  are  incarcerated,  who  shall  be 
permitted  to  make  such  telephone  or  electronic  mail  communications 
free   of charge,   regarding   decisions,   actions,   omissions,   policies, 
procedures, rules or regulations of the department; 
(D) Conducting announced or unannounced site visits of correctional 
facilities administered by the department, without restrictions on such 
visits,  including  during  periods  when  a  facility  is  locked  down  or 
experiencing a facility-wide emergency, provided the department may 
restrict access to a portion of a facility in an emergency situation for the 
duration  of  the  emergency.  For  the  purpose  of  this  subparagraph,  a 
situation or event constituting an emergency shall be determined by the 
commissioner   or   the   commissioner's   designee,   to   be   a   situation 
constituting a significant risk to the safety or security of the facility, or 
the  health,  safety  or  security  of  department  staff  or  persons  who  are 
incarcerated, or an event that significantly compromises the operations 
of the facility; 
(E) Reviewing    the    operation    of    correctional    facilities    and 
nonemergency procedures employed at such facilities. Nonemergency 
procedures include, but are not limited to, the department's use of force 
procedures; 
(F) Recommending    procedure    and    policy    revisions    to    the 
department; 
(G) Taking   all   possible   actions,   including,   but   not   limited   to, 
conducting   programs   of   public   education,   undertaking   legislative 
advocacy  and  making  proposals  for  systemic  reform  and  formal  legal 
action in order to secure and ensure the rights of persons in the custody 
of  the  commissioner.  The  Correction  Ombuds  is  not  authorized  to 
institute litigation; 
(H) Conducting  surveys  by  sending  or  distributing  during  facility 

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visits,    confidential    written    and    electronic    communications    or 
questionnaires  to  persons  who  are  incarcerated  or  employees  of  the 
Department   of   Correction   concerning   conditions   of   confinement, 
working  conditions  or  other  subjects  within  the  scope  of  the  duties  of 
the  Office  of  the  Correction  Ombuds,  without  prior  approval  of  the 
department. Such persons who are incarcerated or employees shall be 
permitted  to  complete  and  return  to  said  office  such  surveys  either  in 
written format or electronically. No survey may be sent or distributed 
to an employee of the Department of Correction, unless the Correction 
Ombuds   previously   made   such   survey   available   for   review   and 
comment by the bargaining units representing such employees; 
(I) Publishing  on  an  Internet  web  site  operated  by  the  Office  of  the 
Correction Ombuds a semiannual summary of all ombuds services and 
activities during the six-month period before such publication; and 
(J) Evaluating the provision of health care services, including, but not 
limited to, medical care, dental care, mental health care and substance 
use disorder treatment services, to persons who are incarcerated by the 
Department of Correction. 
(b) Notwithstanding   any  provision   of  the  general  statutes,   the 
Correction  Ombuds  shall  act  independently  of  any  department  in  the 
performance of the office's duties. 
(c) The  Correction  Ombuds  may,  within  available  funds,  appoint 
such  staff  as  may  be  deemed  necessary.  The  duties  of  the  staff  may 
include the duties and powers of the Correction Ombuds if performed 
under the dir