(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he is appointing Angel Quiros to serve as commissioner of the Department of Correction (DOC).
A veteran of the DOC, Quiros has worked at the agency since 1989, first joining as a correctional officer and then working his way up the ranks as lieutenant, captain, major, deputy warden, warden, district administrator, and his current position as deputy commissioner of operations and rehabilitative services, which he has held since January 2019. He has also been serving in the capacity of interim commissioner since July, following the departure of the agency’s most recent commissioner, Rollin Cook, from the position.
In addition to his work within the state’s criminal justice system, Quiros brings a national perspective to the agency from his work as an independent criminal justice consultant with the Moss Group out of Washington, DC, which has brought him to several correctional systems around the country.
“Experience is imperative when it comes to the operations of our correctional facilities, and it can’t be denied that Angel is intimately familiar with Connecticut’s correctional and criminal justice systems,” Governor Lamont said. “Our correction department has a key responsibility and role in our ongoing efforts to expand rehabilitation and prevent re-entry, and my administration remains focused on maintaining this momentum so that we can continue to drive Connecticut’s crime rate to historic lows. I look forward to working with Angel on these reforms.”
“I am extremely grateful to Governor Lamont for selecting me as his choice to guide the Department of Correction into the future,” Interim Commissioner Quiros said. “I promise to work tirelessly to earn the trust the governor has placed in me.”
Quiros grew up on Park Street in Hartford, where he built strong ties with the community as his father and uncle owned a neighborhood grocery store. He earned a bachelor of science in human services from Springfield College.
Upon his confirmation by the General Assembly, Quiros will become the first-ever Latino man or woman to serve as DOC commissioner.
Connecticut’s prison and jail population has dramatically decreased over the last several years while at the same time crime rates have also reached historic lows. The prison and jail population reached its peak in 2008 when there were 19,894 incarcerated people in state facilities. Today, the state’s total prison and jail population is 9,534 – a 31-year low. This includes a decrease of 2,875 incarcerated people since March 1 of this year.