Accomplishments in 2014
FEBRUARY 24, 2014
Under the direction of Governor Dannel P. Malloy, state agencies are implementing the LEAN process improvement system - a system used to continuously improve any work-related process through the elimination of waste. The Department of Correction held its first ever Kaizen event in February, a week-long exercise in which teams identify needed improvements and develop a one-year plan to implement the improvements. The department focused on four processes to “Lean” for this event: recruitment, policy and standards, procurement and the community release process.
FEBRUARY 26, 2014
After testifying in front of the Executive and Legislative Nominations Committee Hearing on February 18, at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford, the nomination of James E. Dzurenda by Governor Dannel P. Malloyto be the Commissioner of the Department of Correction was officially confirmed by the State Senate on Wednesday, February 26, 2014.
APRIL 1, 2014
After seeking the input of stakeholders from various agencies and community providers, the Department of Correction unveiled its newly updated mission statement. The new Mission Statement emphasizes the department’s renewed commitment to partner and collaborate with other organizations that have a vested interest in reducing the rate of recidivism among offenders.
APRIL 22, 2014
A total of 19 supervisors from the Manson Youth Institution were awarded the Connecticut Employee Support of the Guard and Reserve’s (ESGR) Patriot Award. An office within the U.S. Department of Defense, ESGR, promotes cooperation between Reserve component service members and their full-time employers. An important part of ESGR’s mission is to recognize outstanding employer support. To that end, ESGR grants a series of Department of Defense awards, the first of which is the Patriot Award. An employee serving in the National Guard or Reserve, or the spouse of a Guard or Reserve member, may nominate individual supervisors for support provided directly to the nominating Service member and his or her family.
MAY 9, 2014
Carrying on a tradition that was established by the Department of Correction’s previous Commissioner, Leo Arnone, the current Commissioner, James E. Dzurenda, officially swore-in many of his top administrators during a ceremony held in the historic Old Judiciary Room of the Connecticut State Capitol. Department of Correction staff members take part in the agency’s first ever LEAN processes Kaizen event.
July 10, 2014
Three golden retriever puppies established temporary residence at the Enfield Correctional Institution as part of the agency’s collaboration with America’s VetDogs (AVD), which provides guide and service dogs to veterans with disabilities.
The puppies live with inmate handlers, who with assistance from an AVD trainer prepare the dogs to become service dogs for veterans with disabilities. The collaboration with America’s VetDogs (AVD) marks the third dog training program in the department.
August 19, 2014
Rev. Anthony J. Bruno, Director of Religious Services for the Department of Correction, as well as the two term past President of the American Correctional Chaplains Association (ACCA), was selected by the Salvation Army to receive their highest award as the “Chaplain of the Year”.
The Salvation Army bestowed this prestigious national honor for distinguished service in the field of corrections during the American Correctional Association’s annual Summer Congress of Correction in Salt Lake City, Utah on August 19, 2014.
August 29, 2014
After a career of more than 27 years with the Department of Correction, Commissioner James E. Dzurenda resigned effective August 29, 2014, in order to take a job as the First Deputy Commissioner for the New York City Department of Correction. Governor Dannel P. Malloy appointed Scott Semple to serve as Interim Commissioner.
September 15, 2014
The Department of Correction held its second Lean Kaizen Event the week of September 15, 2014. The Lean process empowers staff to identify and implement process improvements which allow the department to become more efficient and effective in the execution of its mission.
The four lean projects selected for this Kaizen event were: Operations Database;
Inmate Visiting Process; Investigation Process; and the Interstate Compact Process (a joint project between DoC’s Parole and Community Services Unit and the Board of Pardons and Parole).
October 17, 2014
The Department of Correction, in collaboration with Community Solutions, Inc. proudly dedicated the Johnson-Silliman House, a new 26-bed, Residential Women and Children’s Program in the Hartford community. The program, the only one of its kind in Connecticut, is dedicated to assisting female offenders with reintegration into the community, targeting those who are pregnant, have recently given birth or are attempting to reconnect with their children upon completion of their sentence.
October 21, 2014
The third edition of “cold case” playing cards soliciting information in unsolved homicides and missing person cases was unveiled on October 21, 2014. The playing cards were produced by the Cold Case Unit within the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney in conjunction with the Connecticut Department of Correction and other law enforcement agencies working to solve cases that have gone “cold,” or unsolved for a prolonged period of time.
October 30, 2014
The department’s Management Information Systems (MIS) Unit completed the agency-wide Windows 7 operating system upgrade from a previous version of the operating system. All told, approximately 2,600 devices were updated.