Webster Correctional Institution

Address:	111 Jarvis Street Cheshire, CT 06410 Directions.
Phone:	(203) 271-5900
Fax:	(203) 271-5909
Security:	Level 2

Population Information:

See data available regarding Connecticut Department of Correction's supervised population.

General Information:

The Webster Correctional Institution provides programs consistent with the educational, pre-release, and addiction treatment needs of its offender. This low security, pre-release institution seeks to provide offenders nearing release with the tools that will support their successful community reintegration.

In this institution the educational courses offered are Adult Basic Education, G.E.D. Preparation Courses, College Courses, Culinary Arts, Business Education, Technical Prep Courses, Parenting Skills, Steer Straight, ESL, and Job Skills. The programming consists of Addiction Services - Tier I, Tier II, and Tier III, DWI Education, Anger Management, 12-Step Programs, Fellowship Programs, Victim Offender Education, Beyond Fear, and Thresholds.

Transitional programming is an important portion of the services offered at the facility. The education department stresses transition planning, life skills and job skills. Inmates are able to meet with Connecticut Works, Job Corps and various outside school and vocational training programs. CONNTAC Education opportunities Center assists inmates nearing the end of sentence with academic placement and financial aid.

Communication classes geared toward the transitioning inmate are held in both English and Spanish. Additionally, parenting skills were held for a number of inmates and a "Read to Your Child" program was instituted.

The Webster Correctional Institution also employs inmates in various institutional jobs and offers between 120 - 150 inmates outside clearance assignments. Many of the outside clearance assignments are assigned to a community service work program and save the community over $1,000,000 per year in labor costs.

Permanent daily inmate work crews are employed at the Bethany State Police Barracks, the Meriden State Police Complex, several local police departments and eight Department of Transportation road cleaning crews.

Present staffing: 128.

The facility is named in honor of N. Daniel Webster who served as warden of the Connecticut State Prison in Wethersfield from 1857-1862.

Listing of the inmate programs available at this facility (PDF, 81 KB).

Visiting Schedule (PDF, 11 KB).

History:

Webster Correctional Institution opened on October 29, 1990. It has remained as a level 2 pre-release institution since it opened. It focused on furloughs, orientation programs and self-awareness seminars. Its original population was 309 inmates with one building existing of 78,500 square feet.

Between 1993 and 1996 the focus has shifted to the community work and substance abuse program. Some of the beneficiaries of the Webster's community work program are the Department of Transportation, other state agencies, The Governor's Honor Guard and Steer Straight. In this period of time, the Webster Correctional Institution also became a smoke-free facility.

In October of 1996 the Webster Annex was opened at the Maloney Center for Training and Staff Development, which at the time housed DWI offenders.

Between 1996 and 1997 the Webster Correctional Institution increased community service in 12 cities and towns. Staff also instituted new educational release and substance programs as well as the support groups for smokers and gamblers.

On January 15, 2010, the facility was closed in response to a request from Governor M. Jodi Rell to achieve efficiencies given the state of the economy.  Two of the four housing units had previously been closed, as a result of a decrease in the overall incarcerated population.  The 200 inmates in the remaining two housing units were dispersed to other level two and level three facilities.  The agency worked with the staff and their unions to reassign them to other correctional facilities.  The building was placed in mothball status and is ready for reuse should the need arise.

List of past wardens: