Front Page of report
Inmate Death Investigation Reveals Violations of Federal, State Law, Failure to Provide Adequate Medical Care and Lifesaving Measures
April 8, 2025
Disability Rights Connecticut (DRCT), following a comprehensive, detailed and alarming 31-month investigation, is calling on the state legislature and the Department of Correction (DOC) to act immediately, because “if the systemic issues that DRCT identified are not addressed, more people could die in custody.”
The investigation began in the wake of the death of an individual in the custody of Bridgeport Correctional Center, less than 24 hours after arriving at the facility.
DRCT, in an extensive 25-page report which includes a series of recommendations, concluded that multiple corrective actions are imperative, noting that the investigation “substantiated multiple systemic violations of federal and state law, and DOC policy,” and “significant deficiencies in the DOC’s policies, practices, and staff accountability with respect to medical care, staff training, disciplinary processes, and operational procedures.”
Investigation at High Road Schools Reveals Serious Shortcomings
March 12, 2024
The Connecticut Office of the Child Advocate (OCA) and Disability Rights Connecticut (DRCT) today released the results of a multi-year investigation into the actions, practices, and oversight by the State Department of Education and High Road Schools, a group of eight state-approved and publicly funded private special education programs.
The Investigative Findings and Recommendations by OCA and DRCT call for a sweeping series of changes to current practices, citing “urgent system concerns,” and recommending “increased local and state oversight and accountability for ensuring children with disabilities receive the appropriate eduation they are entitled to under state and federal law.”
INVESTIGATIVE REPORT ISSUED
November 26, 2019
Upon completion of a lengthy investigation, Disability Rights Connecticut (DRCT) substantiated abuse, neglect and violations of patients’ rights at Whiting Forensic Hospital (WFH) and Connecticut Valley Hospital (CVH).
When revelations of egregious conditions first surfaced in media reports in the Spring of 2017 state entities responded, addressing some of the initial concerns. The subsequent DRCT investigation initially centered on the circumstances in regards to two patients - William Shehadi and Andrew Vermiglio. However, based upon a broader examination, DRCT’s findings illustrate many concerns still exist.
The extensive Investigative Report includes a series of findings and recommendations and a call to action for the Connecticut General Assembly to place CVH under the licensure of the Department of Public Health (DPH) and the Commissioner of the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) to enact immediate reforms in the areas of concern identified in this report.
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