HB 6707, An Authorizing Bonds of the State and Appropriating State Funds for Intellectual Disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorder Housing Programs and Reentry Centers

The ACLU-CT believes in a society where all people, including those who have been convicted or accused of a crime, have equal opportunity to contribute to their communities and build successful and fulfilling lives. Studies have found that the number of people with developmental disabilities and mental illnesses who are incarcerated is likely to be more than in the general population. Connecticut needs to invest in housing programs and reentry services specifically for people who are disabled and leaving incarceration. The state also needs to remove barriers that make it impossible for a person to rejoin their family at home at the end of their sentence. Connecticut is stronger and safer when a person who is formerly incarcerated has a fair chance of accessing a job, housing, and education.