Connecticut’s state-appointed prison ombudsman is stepping down. DeVaughn Ward raised issues with the system earlier this year, prompting course corrections in Connecticut prisons.
This spring, a scathing report from Ward said health conditions in prisons were in bad shape. Most notably, he said some inmates were waiting up to two years for doctors’ visits.
Afterward, the state Department of Corrections announced a shakeup at the top, including a new commissioner and health care czar, and lawmakers passed new prison health care reforms.
In July, before he announced he'd stepped down, Ward said he'd already started to see changes.
“For a long time, a lot of the culture and the decisions were guided by a custody and safety and security rationale first, rather than viewing the agency through a human service and treatment lens," Ward said. "We'll see how that goes in terms of implementation, but it seems to be a marked difference in terms of vision for the agency.”
Ward said new state laws made a difference.
"You know, the requirement that there's a medical bill of rights and that it's posted in English and Spanish in every housing unit," he said. "Lawmakers have mandated that the sick call requests are mandated to be made electronically. They've also mandated that doctors' medical decisions are not considered recommendations. They are to be followed by and they're not to be overruled by custody staff. So there's been a number of changes on that end."
Ward will leave the office next month. He was the first prison ombudsman in 14 years. The next ombudsman will serve a four-year term.
