State’s Prison Population Declining

ROCKY HILL (AP) — Connecticut’s Department of Correction says the state’s prison population has dropped by almost five percent over the past year, and the downward trend is likely to continue at a slower pace.

According to the February 14 population forecast report, the number of prisoners went from 18,978 in January 2009 to 18,052 in January 2010, a sharper decline than anticipated.

The report says while arrest rates have remained steady over the past five years, the prison population dropped because of a reorganization of the parole process, and better use of community-based programs.

The department predicts an inmate population of just over 17,700 in the state’s 18 correctional facilities in January 2011.