CT Correction Dept. Ombudsman Stops Taking Complaints Amid 189-Grievance Backlog

by Viktoria Sundqvist

HARTFORD, CT — The Office of Correction Ombudsman has temporarily stopped accepting grievances from incarcerated individuals as it attempts to hire staff to catch up on a backlog of 189 complaints, he testified during a hearing last week. 

DeVaughn Ward, appointed to the role on Sept. 23, 2024, is charged with overseeing the state’s correctional system. The office is meant to investigate complaints, monitor conditions, advocate for systemic reforms, ensure transparency and provide recommendations to the governor, the legislature and the Department of Corrections.

Currently, Ward is the office’s only employee, and in the past eight months, he has visited 13 correctional institutions across the state, testified on over a dozen bills during the legislative session and formally processed 196 complaints from incarcerated individuals. 

Complaints from MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution accounted for the highest number when listed by facility, with medical issues being the most frequently reported concern across all locations, according to the report. 

Priority was given to complaints received electronically, and most of the backlog consists of mailed-in grievances, Ward said. A system for inmates calling in complaints via a designated phone line at each facility has not yet been established, but Ward said he is hopeful to have that up and running “a year or two from now.” 

“Without staffing and administrative support, it’s tough for me as one individual to meet the demands of almost 400 complaints,” Ward said during a hearing Friday. 

In addition to staff capacity to meet the increasing volume of complaints, limited budget and difficulty accessing funding, delays in record access due to conflicting interpretations of HIPAA and a lack of a centralized case management system were challenges brought up in Ward’s quarterly report to the Correction Advisory Committee. 

Initially, Ward said he had difficulty getting access to DOC records due to the differing interpretations of medical confidentiality – including disciplinary records and incident reports – without written consent from each incarcerated person. But within the past few weeks, an agreement was reached that clarified that such releases would no longer be needed. 

“That presented a significant hurdle, but I’m happy to say that we resolved it and are moving forward without that restriction,” Ward said.

In terms of staffing, Ward had attempted to hire an office administrator, but the hiring process for a state employee is very different than in the private sector, he said. And then the governor instituted a statewide hiring freeze. He is hopeful, however, that with double the money in his budget for the next two years – now just under $800,000 – he will be able to hire several staff members to assist him, including two office assistants, an investigator and an associate ombudsman. The new budget year starts July 1. 

The legislature also approved funding – $320,000 – for a pilot project on body scanners under Senate Bill 1543, which would cut down on the need for invasive cavity searches of incarcerated people. That bill also prohibits dietary punishments and the use of Nutraloaf, a bland brick-shaped loaf often used as a meal substitute when a person is being punished for poor behavior.

Senate Bill 1541, which passed both chambers but is still awaiting Lamont’s signature, extends the ombudsman’s role to a four-year term, gives the office subpoena power and allows staff to make unannounced site visits to correctional facilities, even during lockdown. It also standardizes the investigative process, mandates the DOC commissioner to respond within an agreed-upon time frame but also clarifies that the ombudsman is not required to investigate every complaint it receives.

“Each of these bills reflects the General Assembly’s growing commitment to transparency and reform,” Ward said. 

Given that state statute is now requiring the ombudsman’s office to produce an evaluation of services provided by the DOC and a comprehensive report of administrative directives, committee members asked Ward to spell out how he plans to prioritize his time for the remaining months of this year. 

“I plan to spend part of the summer getting out to these facilities and hopefully doing some town halls,” Ward said. “Communicate what the plan is and how the office is run.” 

Safety and health concerns will take priority over property concerns, he said, but the intent is to be able to group together complaints and see systematic issues that can be addressed and fixed to help a large number of people.