Medical & Mental Health in Connecticut (DOC)
Connecticut does not charge a medical co-pay, the DOC runs its own health care, why staff need the inmate's written authorization to talk to family, and the independent Office of the Correction Ombudsman.
Health care and the co-pay
The DOC’s own Health Services provides medical, dental, mental-health, substance-use, and pharmacy care, having taken over from UConn Health in 2018. Connecticut historically charged a small (about $3) co-pay for inmate-requested visits; it was suspended in 2020, and in 2026 Connecticut enacted a law (Public Act 26-40) eliminating medical co-pays and canceling related medical debt. Connecticut does not charge a medical co-pay, and no one is denied care for inability to pay.
Mental health and substance use
The DOC runs a mental-health and suicide-prevention program, and provides medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder (methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone) at several facilities, including the women’s facility, York.
Getting health information and raising a concern
Because health information is confidential, the DOC will not share it without the inmate’s signed authorization naming the family member. For questions, the DOC directs families to its “Who Can Answer My Questions” page and to 2-1-1 (the statewide referral line). A health-care grievance process exists for the inmate to use.
Independent oversight
Connecticut has an independent Office of the Correction Ombudsman, created to investigate complaints — including about medical care, conditions, and staff conduct — from incarcerated people and their families. It can be reached at Correction.Ombuds@ct.gov (Hartford). Because the office is new and demand is high, confirm its current intake process when you contact it.
Outside help
Several Connecticut organizations support incarcerated people and their families:
- A Sacred Place — programs for women at York Correctional Institution, including the My Caregiver & Me parent-child visitation program (asacredplace.org).
- Connecting Families (CLICC) — support for children of incarcerated parents (connectingfamilies.org).
- Connecticut Bail Fund — bail help for people held before trial (ctbailfund.org).
Verify Before Acting
Sources
This page is compiled from the following publicly available sources. Policies change without notice — confirm current details with the facility before relying on them.