Hartford Correctional Center

Hartford Correctional Center is a level four, state facility for male inmates located in Hartford, Connecticut. It is committed to protecting the public and staff by providing a safe, secure, and healthy environment for all persons remanded to its custody, and to promoting the responsible behavior of each such individual. 

The Hartford Correctional Center strives to create a facility that promotes professionalism, excellence, and dignity for its employees. This high-security urban jail holds primarily pretrial offenders and serves superior courts in Bristol, Enfield, Hartford, Manchester, Middletown, New Britain, Rockville, and West Hartford.

The Hartford Correctional Center also oversees this agency's 12-bed Medical-Surgical Ward at the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington. The Medical-Surgical Ward is a level 5 co-ed inpatient/outpatient program. The high security medical ward, on a yearly basis processes nearly 350 inpatients and more than 2,200 outpatients.

Hartford Correctional Center currently houses approximately 900 inmates.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

Visits at Hartford Correctional Center are on a first come, first serve basis and seating is limited. The visiting schedule is based on housing unit, and you can get details by clicking here. 

Getting on the approved visiting list

Before you can visit an inmate at Hartford Correctional Center, you must be placed on the inmate's approved visiting list. When an inmate first arrives at the facility, they are allowed to set up a visiting list.  Visiting forms will be sent by the inmate's counselor to those designated by the offender.  

Once you receive your form, fill it out completely and sign the application before mailing it back to the assigned counselor. The approval process can take up to two to three weeks.

An adult is defined as an individual who is 18 years of age or older. Children must be accompanied by an adult on the approved visitor list and remain under the supervision of the adult visitor.

It is up to the offender to notify you when you have been added to the visiting list.

General Visiting Rules

Visitors are encouraged to contact the facility prior to visitation to confirm the visiting schedule and to insure that the inmate they plan to visit has not lost his or her visiting privileges.

You must present a current, photo identification at the correctional facility to be allowed to visit. All visitors under the age of 16 must provide a valid birth certificate and one additional document containing the child's name, i.e. report card, social security card, etc. 

Visitors who are exhibiting flu symptoms will not be permitted to visit with offenders.

You must dress reasonably modest to visit an inmate. Revealing, seductive, or offensive clothing may present a safety and/or security risk and may result in the visitor being denied access to the facility.

You are not allowed to bring in cell phones or other electronic devices.

Any mail you send to an inmate must include the inmate's full name and inmate number in addition to the institution's address. Do not use padded mailing envelopes.

You can only send books and magazines to an inmate if they are in new condition and are packaged and shipped by the bookstore or publisher.

The Connecticut Department of Correction does not allow family and friends to send in clothing packages for offenders.

How to Call an Inmate

Inmates at Hartford Correctional Center can’t receive incoming calls, but they can call you collect during daytime hours. For complete details on how to call an inmate in Connecticut, please click here.

How to Send Money

You can send money to an inmate with a money order by using the postal service, or you can use a debit or credit card with JPAY, Touch Pay, or Western Union.

By U.S. Mail

When sending a money order you must include the Inmate Trust Fund Remitter Form and send it with the money order to: 

Inmate Trust Fund
P.O. Box 290800
Wethersfield, CT 06129-0800

Be sure to include the inmate's full name and correctional identification number on the money order. Do not include any correspondence to the inmate. Make sure that the money order and remitter form are legible.

You may also add money to an inmate's account by using the following websites:

JPAY: One Click Payments with JPAY
Touch Pay: www.touchpayonline.com
Western Union: Electronic Deposits (PDF, 94KB)

For Western Union, please remember:

Pay To: Connecticut DOC
Code City: CTDOC
Account: 8-digit Inmate Number and Inmate Last Name.*

* If inmate number is less than 8 digits, add two zeros at the beginning, i.e., 00123456Johnson

​Programs For ​Inmates

A New Direction: This Addiction Services program is designed to meet the needs of both sentenced and unsentenced offenders. Addiction Services units offer a short-term drug and alcohol education program uses a curriculum that addresses criminal and addictive thinking based on real life experiences of incarcerated addicts. 

Alcoholics Anonymous: This is a 12-step fellowship, self-help group with meetings in a variety of formats (Big Book, Step Meetings, Speaker, etc.) that are held on a weekly basis. Addiction Services or Volunteer Services staff coordinate the meetings and provide oversight for the program.

Employment Readiness Workshop: The goal of this Employment Readiness Workshop is to provide resources and materials that will assist returning citizens (inmates) with job search strategies. This 4-5 session workshop will cover tools, suggestions, and tips with various steps in your employment search process. In each of these sessions, participants will work on various activities and exercises designed to assist in their job search strategies. 

The topics that are covered include: Personality Assessment, Job Description Review, Cover Letter, Resume, Completing Application and Interview Questions and Strategies. There are many opportunities to answer and discuss concerns and questions as they relate to (inmates, ex-offenders) participant employment application. 

There are opportunities for mock interviews and to discuss interview questions and especially tips on answering the question regarding their background. Lastly, participants are provided with an overview of the resources and services available at the American Job Center.

Chronic Discipline: Programming for offenders classified to Chronic Discipline status. Modules of programming include: Controlling Your Anger, How to Deal with your Problems, How to do your Bid, Orientation and Communication, and Relapse Prevention.

Education: Hartford offers opportunities for earning a high school diploma through the General Education Development (GED) exam, which provides qualified offenders the opportunity to participate in the examination process in order to receive a Connecticut State High School Diploma or the High School Equivalency Program, which provides qualified offenders the opportunity to earn the 20 credit hours (120 hours per credit) required to receive a Connecticut High School Diploma. 

Inside Out Dad: Reconnects offenders with their children and introduces them to the transforming power within themselves. 

Mindfulness: Mindfulness is the energy of being aware and awake to the present moment. It isn't something individuals have to acquire, but rather it is a natural ability to help one grow, learn, and heal. 

Through dialog, meditation, and focus practices, inmates will work with what there is and learn tools to become more present and peaceful from moment to moment. Over four weeks they will build on what they learned the previous week, starting a foundation for regular mindfulness practice. 

Narcotics Anonymous: a twelve-step fellowship of addicts helping addicts to recover from the disease of addiction. Meetings, in a variety of formats (Step Meetings, Speaker, Speaker/Discussion, etc.), are held on a weekly basis. 

Reinvent Your Life - Strategies for Career & Life Planning: This group helps offenders develop strategies for reinventing their lives and making positive changes that impact employment options and their futures. This group teaches how to assess one's skills, find resources, and fill gaps to position oneself for future employment success and/or entrepreneurial pursuits. 

Pictures of Hartford Correctional Center

Careers at Hartford Correctional Center

The Hartford Correctional Center is staffed by a variety of professionals, including corrections officers, clergy, maintenance, clerical, and counselors. To explore career options within the Department of Correction click here.