Says action
would serve as deterrent against assaults at super-max
facility
Following last week’s tour of the Northern Correctional
Institution in Somers, state Sen. John A. Kissel,
R-Enfield, today called for additional canine support
at Connecticut's only level 5 maximum-security facility
for adult male inmates. Sen. Kissel said that while
touring the facility he was able to speak with prison
staff and many of them indicated the need to return
to a former policy that included the use of more canines
to assist prison guards with the job of keeping the
facility secure.
In a letter sent today to Department of Correction
(DOC) Commissioner Theresa C. Lantz,
Sen. Kissel asked that the matter be taken into consideration.
“During last week’s meeting, it was expressed
to me by a number of Correctional Officers that they
would like to go back to a policy of more canines for
inmate extractions and other events to minimize risks
to the officers themselves. The prison employees feel
that increasing the number of canines on duty will enhance
their safety as well as the safety of the inmates,”
said Sen. Kissel. “No one knows
better than the Correctional Officers that are on the
ground how to best support their efforts at keeping
the prison environment secured.”
He said he is also interested in obtaining information
as to why the initial policy decision to reduce the
number of canines was enacted in the first place. “I
don’t know when this actually occurred but it
seems to me that if there is any way we could reinstate
this policy to give our prison guards that added layer
of security then we should do it.”
Sen. Kissel stressed the importance of keeping an open
line of communication with those who work in the correctional
facilities. “It is so important to visit these
facilities and meet with those who work on the front
lines,” said Sen. Kissel. “We
need to be proactive in giving our correction officers
the necessary tools to ensure safety. There may be no
greater deterrent than to have these highly trained
dogs in place to assist the correction officer with
the very difficult job of providing that safety.”
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