HARTFORD, CT — In a resounding bipartisan victory for human rights and public health, the Connecticut Senate today passed HB 5567, a comprehensive bill that tackles a longstanding humanitarian crisis that has long plagued Connecticut’s prisons, where systemic medical failures have led to preventable injuries and deaths. Following a landslide 148-2 vote in the House on April 29, 2026, the legislation now heads to Governor Lamont’s desk for signature. He is expected to sign the bill into law.
Among mandates regarding healthcare inside prisons — including nutritional and financial oversight, improved care coordination, staffing, and timely access to medical records — this bill includes a provision eliminating medical copays for incarcerated people and canceling all related debt for those in the custody of the Connecticut Department of Correction (DOC), after advocates fought for its inclusion.
“A prison sentence should never be a death sentence. The Department of Correction has an obligation to provide adequate healthcare to those in their custody and that access to care should never depend on ability to pay, especially for people who have little to no means to earn income while incarcerated,” said Antonya Jeffrey, Director of Policy and Government Affairs at Worth Rises. “We applaud Connecticut for taking another step, after making prison communication free back in 2022, to end the exploitation of incarcerated people and prioritize their health and wellbeing, a move that will deliver lasting returns for the public.”
"Denying people medical care because they can't afford a copay is not simply a corrections policy, it’s a decision that contributes to our public health crisis behind prison walls. With this bill, Connecticut is recognizing its responsibility to the people in its care,” said Connecticut State Senator Gary Winfield, Judiciary Committee Co-Chair.
Between September 2024 and December 2025 alone, the Office of the Correctional Ombudsman (OCO) received over 143 complaints related to health services, underscoring the urgent need for this reform.
The success of this legislation is the result of an effort led by the Connecticut Office of Correction Ombudsman and a coalition of advocates working to end medical copays in Connecticut prisons, including the Worth Rises, New Citizens Coalition, ACLU Connecticut, and the Policy Advocacy Clinic at Berkeley Law.