Senator Kissel to Participate in Guggenheim Symposium on Crime in America

Sen. Kissel Chosen For His Nationally Recognized Work on Corrections

Manhattan based John Jay College of Criminal Justice has invited Senator John A. Kissel (R- Enfield) to participate in the fifth annual Harry Frank Guggenheim Symposium on Crime in America on February 1st. Sen. Kissel, who is a nationally recognized state legislator on corrections issues, will be part of the panel, “Will the Fiscal Crisis Change the Face of American Corrections?” Other panelists are former NYC Commissioner of Correction, Martin Horn, Steve Aos of the Washington State Institute of Public Policy, and Adam Gelb, of the Public Safety Performance Project, Pew Center on the States.

Sen. Kissel is scheduled to speak about Connecticut’s efforts to reduce spending in the area of corrections. “As our deficit estimates continue to grow- nearly $500 million at last count- Connecticut is facing a very difficult road ahead. We need to continue to strike an important balance between reintegrating non-violent offenders back into society and keeping violent offenders behind bars for as long as necessary,” said Sen. Kissel. “Acting Department of Correction Commissioner Brian Murphy has worked with his staff to find creative ways to enhance safety and security without additional costs and an integral part of this process is getting inmates out of the prison system and reintegrated into their communities.”

“I was honored to be chosen to speak at this prestigious symposium and look forward to both sharing ideas and learning from experts in the field,” added Sen. Kissel. “While we will certainly face many challenges working with limited resources, I believe that we will be able to work out a budget that does not negatively impact corrections and the public’s safety.”

John Jay College requested Sen. Kissel’s participation in the forum due to his long standing involvement in corrections reform on the state level and will be fully funding his trip. Other participants include professors, researchers and members of the United State’s Department of Justice.