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State Reform Profile

Connecticut

Connecticut has cut its prison population significantly while crime continued falling. The Second Chance Society initiative transformed drug sentencing.

ALTREFORM COMPOSITE83/100

Key Statistics

Incarceration Rate
275
per 100,000 residents
Annual Cost
$62K
per incarcerated person
3-Year Recidivism
55%
reincarcerated within 3 yrs
Racial Disparity
6.2×
Black vs. White incarceration
Alt. Programs
31
active diversion programs
Reform Initiatives
9
tracked by AltReform

Incarceration by Race

CT Overall275
National Avg568
Black (est.)1,023
White (est.)89

Incarceration rate per 100,000 residents. Racial estimates based on BJS/Sentencing Project methodology.

Recidivism Rate

55%3-year recidivism
This stateNational avg: 67%

Percent of people reincarcerated within 3 years of release. Source: BJS recidivism data series.

Cost vs. Alternatives

$62K
incarceration/yr
vs.
~$5K
diversion/yr

Active & Passed Reforms

3 initiatives

Second Chance Society InitiativeView full details →

Reduced drug possession from felony to misdemeanor, saving $12M annually.

PassedDrug Policy2015
AltReform Score86/100

RSAT – Reentry SupportView full details →

Comprehensive reentry support including housing, jobs, and counseling.

ActiveReentry2018
AltReform Score80/100

Raise the Age ReformView full details →

Moved 17-year-olds from adult to juvenile justice system.

PassedYouth2012
AltReform Score83/100

Data Sources & Methodology

Reform data sourced from state legislative records, BJS Criminal Justice Statistics, the Vera Institute Incarceration Trends dataset, and The Sentencing Project. AltReform prediction scores (0,100) are generated by our ML model trained on 20+ years of state-level reform outcomes, weighting recidivism reduction, racial equity impact, cost-effectiveness, and political feasibility. Statistics are the most recent available (2021,2024).

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