MEDIA CONTACT:
DeVaughn L. Ward, Esq.
Connecticut Correction Ombuds
DeVaughn.Ward@ct.gov
(860) 856-4799
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Connecticut Office of the Correction Ombuds to hold Hartford Town Hall on September 23
Public event will explain the Office’s authority, complaint-review process, healthcare oversight and upcoming work
HARTFORD, Conn. — The Connecticut Office of the Correction Ombuds will hold a public town hall on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Hartford Public Library’s Travelers Center for Arts and Culture, 500 Main Street in Hartford.
The town hall will provide members of the public with an overview of the Office’s role as Connecticut’s independent correctional oversight agency, including its authority to receive and review complaints, conduct facility inspections, investigate systemic concerns, review correctional healthcare services and issue public findings and recommendations.
“Independent oversight is strongest when the public understands how the Office works and has meaningful opportunities to engage with its work,” Correction Ombuds DeVaughn Ward said. “This town hall is intended to make our work more accessible, explain the tools available to the Office and engage with people and communities affected by Connecticut’s correctional system.”
Ward will be joined by members of the Office of the Correction Ombuds staff. The presentation will address:
- How incarcerated people, families and members of the public can contact the Office;
- How complaints are screened, reviewed and investigated;
- The Office’s authority to inspect facilities, review records and interview incarcerated people privately;
- Healthcare oversight, including medical, mental-health, dental and disability-access concerns;
- The Office’s upcoming 2026 Conditions of Confinement Report;
- The selection process for the next Correction Ombuds; and
- Upcoming public reports, statutory milestones and town halls.
Attendees may submit written questions during the presentation. There will also be an opportunity for attendees to offer brief comments, limited to three minutes per person. The town hall is an informational and community-engagement event and is not a formal public hearing.
The event is not a complaint-intake session. Individuals seeking to submit a formal complaint should use the Office’s established complaint channels so the matter can be properly documented, screened, assigned and tracked.
The Hartford event is the first in a series of public town halls. Additional town halls are scheduled for October 21 at the New London Public Library, November 19 at the Bridgeport Public Library and December 9 at the New Haven Free Public Library. All events will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. and are open to the public.
EVENT DETAILS
What: Hartford Correction Ombuds Town Hall
When: Wednesday, September 23, 2026, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Where: Hartford Public Library, Travelers Center for Arts and Culture, 500 Main Street, Hartford
Who: Correction Ombuds DeVaughn Ward and members of the Office of the Correction Ombuds staff
Format: Informational presentation, written questions and an opportunity for brief comments
For information about the Office of the Correction Ombuds or to submit a formal complaint, visit the Connecticut OGA Ombudsman site or email Correction.Ombuds@ct.gov.