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Investigation •

Connecticut's Use of Solitary Confinement

On any given night, over a hundred thousand people are confined to the torturous conditions of solitary confinement in jails and prisons within the United States. Moreso, in Connecticut, over 9,000 people are held in isolated cells in the state’s jails and prisons.

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The practice of solitary confinement, with its roots tracing back to the 1830s, was initially introduced by the Quakers in Pennsylvania. It was a novel approach, a substitute for public punishment, aimed at isolating prisoners, gi...
Telling Global Stories •

Saving Lake Atitlán

Continuing our tour, Manuel only circles a small section as the lake is too large to traverse in a boat as small as a cayuco. Despite this, in our short tour, I was able to see some of the murky algae-looking bacteria that have been plaguing the lake for years now. By the time the cayuco returns to shore, the sun has already broken through the mountaintops and is beginning to shine onto the lake, illuminating the daybreak. Stepping off the boat, Manuel expertly guides his aged cayuco to join the...
Connecticut Inside Investigator •

Transparency frustrations in Westport inspire public FOIA classes

In response to difficulty accessing information via Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, activists in the town of Westport have begun hosting educational events to encourage the public to get involved.On April 15th, Representative Town Meeting (RTM) members, organized by Sal Liccione, hosted a presentation at the Westport Library led by Russell Blair, Director of Education and Communications for the Freedom of Information Commission (FOIC), to teach the community how to file FOIA requests...
Connecticut Inside Investigator •

Connecticut's cost of living continues to exceed national average

According to the Cost-of-Living Index (COLI) published by the Council for Community and Economic Research, Connecticut ranks as one of the most expensive states to live in compared to the national average.Connecticut’s cost-of-living index is 121.6, which is significantly higher than the national average of 100. This means the cost of living in Connecticut is about 21.6 percent higher than the national average.Factors contributing to this ranking include housing costs, transportation expenses, h...
Connecticut Inside Investigator •

UConn Takes Precautions Ahead of Final Four

As the University of Connecticut’s men’s and women’s basketball teams gear up for their Final Four showdowns, UConn police and administrators are taking steps to prevent a repeat of the destructive celebrations that followed last year’s men’s national championship victory.  The celebration following UConn’s victory turned into acts of vandalism as students took to the streets and destroyed property throughout the campus. The initial report detailed over $135,000 in property damage, including mul...
Connecticut Inside Investigator •

DMHAS: Depression and anxiety leading mental health concerns for CT

The Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) recently released priority reports for each of the state’s five regions, highlighting concerns across the state, including depression, anxiety, heroin, and fentanyl.According to the CDC, a large and growing body of research shows that depression and anxiety are associated with risk factors for heart disease, the leading cause of death in the state and throughout the country. While DMHAS priorities are similar across Conne...
Connecticut Inside Investigator •

400 lead poisoning cases in Connecticut connected to recalled baby food

Attorney General William Tong joined a coalition of attorney generals nationwide calling on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take urgent action to protect infants and young children from lead and other toxic metals in baby food after hundreds of lead poisoning cases in Connecticut have been linked to recalled WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Fruit Puree pouches. In a letter sent to the FDA, Tong and the coalition urged the agency to act on a 2021 petition that was denied and a subsequent 20...
Connecticut Inside Investigator •

$19.3 billion of unpaid student loan debt in Connecticut

According to a new report from the Office of Legislative Research (OLR) and Office of Fiscal Analysis (OFA), 15% of Connecticut residents are in student loan debt, with an average debt of $35,681 per person.  With over 540,000 borrowers, this equates to around $19.3 billion of unpaid student loan debt in Connecticut. The state has the fifth-highest average amount of debt per undergraduate, with $35,853 for the class of 2020. While over 300,000 Connecticut residents had applied for President Joe...
Connecticut Inside Investigator •

AG Tong Concludes Port Authority Impropriety Investigation

After nearly four years of investigations into the Connecticut Port Authority, Attorney General Tong has announced the conclusion of a whistleblower investigation conducted by his office.Tong’s office released a report on Thursday announcing they uncovered violations of the Code of Ethics for Public Officials and Code of Ethics for Lobbyists, but nothing illegal. The investigation found significant deficiencies in the management and oversight of the Connecticut Port Authority, including a lack o...
Connecticut Inside Investigator •

Connecticut residents more likely to die from an overdose than car crash

With a population of over 3.6 million people as of 2022, residents of Connecticut are more likely to die from an accidental overdose than a motor vehicle accident, according to the Connecticut Department of Health (DPH). Overdose deaths have been steadily rising throughout the country because of continuous misuse and abuse of prescription painkillers and an increased use of illicit street drugs like heroin or fentanyl. Since 2012, Connecticut has seen an exponential growth in accidental overdose...
Connecticut Inside Investigator •

Connecticut gets failing grade for tobacco efforts

Connecticut received ‘mixed grades’ on progress toward preventing and reducing use, according to the American Lung Association’s 21st annual State of Tobacco report.The state’s grades this year include two ‘F’s, one ‘C,’ and two ‘B’s for efforts to prevent and reduce tobacco use, particularly among the youth. The failing grades were for tobacco prevention and cessation funding, and the availability of flavored products.The study found that Connecticut received $433.6 million in tobacco related r...
Connecticut Inside Investigator •

UConn team part of International Space Station research

A team from the University of Connecticut is conducting research with the International Space Station to investigate regenerative tissue growth in micr0-gravity, which could aid in future osteoarthritis treatments and space travel.Associate professor of bioengineering at the University of Connecticut, Professor Yupeng Chen, has made headlines in recent months for the research he and his team have done on regenerative tissue growth for cartilage in joints. Chen is the project’s Principal Investig...