Address:
201 West Main Street
Niantic, CT 06357
| Phone: |
(860) 691-6700 |
| Fax: |
(860) 691-6800 |
| Security: |
Level 2-5 |
Population as of July 1, 2007:
| Accused: |
445 |
| Sentenced: |
963 |
| Total: |
1,408 |
General Information:
The York Correctional
Institution is a high-security facility. It serves as the state's only
institution for female offenders. It serves all superior courts in
Connecticut and manages all pretrial and sentenced female offenders,
whatever their security level.
The programming units at
the facility have an extensive array of positive interventions for the
population, including the 80-bed intensive, inpatient drug treatment
unit, the Marilyn Baker House.
In June 2005, the
innovative Charlene Perkins Re-Entry Center was dedicated in honor of a
past deputy warden. The 75 bed stand alone unit assists in preparing
appropriate women offenders, who are within 18 months with the skills
they will need for successful reintegration into the community.
The department's
Correctional Enterprise of Connecticut manages a program based at this
facility in which 50 inmates are employed in data entry projects for
other state agencies.
Through the Prison PUP
Partnership, appropriate offenders raise and train assistance dogs who
are then provided to deaf and disabled persons in the community through
NEADS.
Girl Scouts Behind Bars,
for the daughters of incarcerated women, reflects recent research that
enhanced visitation may reduce the possibility of the mother returning
to prison and/or the daughter becoming an offender.
Female offenders have
spoken to many school and local organizations, as well as at risk
youth. Community service crews have assisted at the Hole in the Wall
Gang Camp, Camp Hazen, the New London Housing Authority, and OpSail
2000.
Present staffing: 502.
Listing of the inmate programs available at this facility (PDF, 916 KB).
NEADS
Visiting Schedule (PDF, 11 KB).
History:
The Niantic Correctional
Institution was founded in 1918 as the Connecticut State Farm and
Reformatory for Women. In 1930 an addition added to the population
capacity and the facility was renamed the Niantic Correctional
Institution. With the transfer of women from the State Prison in
Wethersfield, it became only correctional institution for women in
Connecticut.
In 1988 dormitory style housing was built and added an additional 224 beds.
The York Correctional
Institution was opened in October of 1994 and was named after Janet
York who served as Warden at the Niantic Correctional Institution.
In 1996 the York
Correctional Institution and the Niantic Correctional Institution were
consolidated into one facility keeping the York Correctional
Institution as its name. This facility is situated on 425 acres.
In 1997 an additional celled housing unit was built to add another 196 beds.