HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut officials say they expect the state's prison population will decline over the next year, but at a slower rate than in the recent past.
An annual report from the state Office of Policy and Management predicts the state will have about 310 fewer inmates in the system a year from now, a drop of about 2.3 percent.
During the same period in the past year, the prison population fell by 420 inmates, or about 3 percent.
There are currently 13,463 prisoners in the system, which is down from about 19,900 in 2008.
Marc Pelka, the state's undersecretary for criminal justice policy, says the numbers show the state needs to focus on issues such as access to housing and substance abuse treatment for those getting out of prison.
