Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee
JOINT FAVORABLE REPORT
Bill No.: HB-6228
AN ACT PROHIBITING INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION FROM
INQUIRING ABOUT A PROSPECTIVE STUDENT'S CRIMINAL HISTORY
DURING THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS AND ESTABLISHING A PRISON
Title: EDUCATION PROGRAM OFFICE.
Vote Date: 3/4/2021
Vote Action: Joint Favorable Substitute
PH Date: 3/2/2021
File No.: 92
Disclaimer: The following JOINT FAVORABLE Report is prepared for the benefit of the
members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and
explanation and does not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber
thereof for any purpose.
SPONSORS OF BILL:
REPRESENTATIVE PORTER, 94TH DIST.
REPRESENTATIVE HUGHES, 135TH DIST.
REPRESENTATIVE MICHEL, 146TH DIST.
REASONS FOR BILL:
To improve access to higher education for people with a criminal justice record and improve
the quality of education within the Department of Correction.
SUBSTITUTE LANGUAGE:
Adds Postsecondary to the name of the Prison Education Program Office
Lines 16-17: requires the office to report directly to the Commissioner of Correction
Lines 50-53: requires the office to prioritize approval of an institution that has
experience operating prison education programs and either (1) participates in the
federal Pell Grant Program or (2) provides prison education programs at no cost to
students
Lines 65-67: requires the offices complaint process to address complaints about an
institutions or the departments failure to provide necessary accommodations for
student disabilities
Lines 74-75: specifies that the office may only interfere with the selection of curricula
or materials if they present a clear physical threat to a correctional facilitys safety
and security
Lines 80-81: removes the requirement that institutions must provide financial aid
information to students 45 days prior to the enrollment deadline; replaces it with any
time prior to the enrollment deadline
RESPONSE FROM ADMINISTRATION/AGENCY:
Eulalia Garcia, District Administrator for the Department of Correction (DOC)
Testified and provided written testimony in opposition. The DOC believes that establishing a
Prison Education Program Office is "premature, unnecessary and too prescriptive." The
Department says it wants to wait for clarity from the US Department of Education on whether
Pell Grants for inmates will resume in all states. The Department also says that it has been
successful when mediating prior complaints, that "it must be allowed" to encourage courses
which it deems will make student/inmates more employable, and community college partners
would be unaware that many of those student/inmates have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD), which may be triggered course content.
NATURE AND SOURCES OF SUPPORT:
Andrew Clark, PhD, Director, Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy (IMRP), CCSU:
Dr. Clark presented his team's findings, along with a 105-page white paper and over 11
pages of undersignatories. They state that "deprivation of liberty is sufficient punishment in
itself," and that when detained people retain all other human rights, outcomes significantly
improve.
Dr. Erin S. Corbett, PhD, Founder, CEO, Second Chance Educational Alliance:
Dr. Corbett testified and submitted written testimony in support of the bill. She states that this
bill is "long overdue", necessary, and "that there are no data indicating that enrolling people
with conviction backgrounds decreases campus safety". She continues by describing the
prison education system's in her view lack of unified support and standards, and how a
Postsecondary Education Office of Higher Education would benefit students by placing
administration of their education in the hands of people who are better qualified for the job.
Hartford Foundation for Public Giving (HFPG):
The HFPG submitted written testimony in support of the bill as part of their efforts to
dismantle structural racism and improve the economic opportunities for Black and Latinx
residents of the Greater Hartford region facing barriers to employment. They state we must
be equally committed to ensuring access to education for incarcerated people as we would
be for any other group. To do so results in better outcomes for formerly incarcerated people,
as does removing the stigma of incarceration from the application process.
Kelly McConney Moore, Interim Senior Policy Counsel, American Civil Liberties Union
of Connecticut (ACLU-CT):
ACLU-CT submitted testimony in support of the bill. They believe all people should "have
equal opportunity to contribute to society and build successful and fulfilling lives." They
continue, saying the state has "amassed over 550 barriers impeding people living with
criminal records," and provide examples. They then explain that removing these barriers
benefits not just the individuals affected by them, but society as a whole.
Cindy Prizio, Executive Director, One Standard of Justice:
Director Prizio submitted written testimony in support of the bill; identifying "as a member of a
justice impacted family on both sides of the sexual offending issue." Her organization
believes that educational opportunities provide people the chance to reach their potential,
Page 2 of 5 HB-6228
while shedding shame, stigma, and an "'us vs them' mentality." She suggests changing bill
language to remove "dehumanizing labels, ie. Inmate" in favor of "person-first language." She
believes an independent administrator of the Prison Education Program Office will ensure
that education is the priority, and if you "ban the box" it will level the playing field
Dieter Tejada, Founding President, Executive Director, National Justice Impact Bar
Association (NJIBA) (1) (2) (3): Mr. Tejada presented and submitted written testimony in
support of the bill. Item (1) is a white paper from NJIBA and the Law School Admission
Council (LSAC), titled "Justice-Impacted Individuals in the Pipeline: A National Exploration of
Law School Policies and Practices," which describes the results of a 2020 survey exploring
how a criminal record impacts the law school admissions process. Item (2) is an infographic
answering frequently asked questions posed to the Justice Impact Movement. Item (3) is Mr.
Tejada's personal written testimony, discussing his support for the bill, barriers for people
living with criminal records, and the results of item (1).
Mary Valdovinos:
Mary Valdovinos submitted written testimony in support of the bill. Mary is a resident of CT
and formerly incarcerated person who has returned to school and is now a full-time student
on the Dean's List. She believes her criminal record and experiences with addition serve as
both "stressor and motivator." She speaks highly of a mentor who also has a criminal past but
succeeded in obtaining a law degree. She emphasizes that they are the kind of people whom
you should consider could be missing out by not passing the bill, and that education leads to
lower recidivism. By passing this bill, she says, you will also combat systemic racism and
grant young people the chance to grow and learn from their mistakes. She concludes by
explaining that passing this bill will not make campuses less safe.
Tiffany Williams:
Tiffany Williams submitted written testimony in support of the bill. Her fiance is currently
incarcerated, and access to higher education through Second Chance Education Alliance
and Yale Prison Education Initiative. His ambition to achieve has not only improved his own
life but is positively influencing those around him. Tiffany believes that education reduces
recidivism and combats racial discrimination; however, criminal history inquiries during the
admissions process discourage, and offer opportunity to discriminate against, people like her
fiance. "It can feel like being punished all over again."
Yale Justice Impact Movement:
The members of the Yale Justice Impact Movement submitted a list of frequently asked
questions concerning justice-impacted people and higher education policies.
Additional Testimony
Testimony was offered by the following people in support of the law citing access to
education as a critical component of reintegration for justice impacted people, and a counter
to recidivism and systemic racism.
Eliya Ahmad
Tiheba Bain
Page 3 of 5 HB-6228
Richard Cardoso
Claire Chang, Student, Yale
Sherry Chen
Leah Cogguillo
Willa Ferrer
Grace Freedman
Timothy Gabriele
Zoe Hsu
Eui Young Kim
Alessandra Kim-Panero
Andrew Kornfeld
Eliza Kravitz
Isabella Marin
Grace Parmer
Eleanor Roberts, Student, Yale
Eli Roche
Reed Schwartz, Policy Director, Wesleyan Democrats
Natalie Smith
Crystal Wang
Danielle Wong, Member, Bloomfield Town Council
Alison Zerbib
Mirilla Zhu
Sydney Zoehrer, Student, Yale
Page 4 of 5 HB-6228
NATURE AND SOURCES OF OPPOSITION:
None expressed.
Reported by: Jeremy Salyer Date: 03/12/21
Page 5 of 5 HB-6228