Manson Youth Institution

The Manson Youth Institution is a level 4, high-security facility located in Cheshire, Connecticut. It serves as the Department's primary location for housing sentenced inmates under the age of 21. 

This facility recognizes the need to educate youth, and the staff provides a climate which enhances inmate social skills, while reinforcing ethics, attitude, and behavior valued by productive law-abiding citizens.

The Manson Youth Institution houses male offenders ranging in age from 14 to 21 in ten separate buildings, each with three wings containing 12 cells, a day room, counselor offices, and mini kitchen. 

As the states' only facility for male youth, it houses chronic disciplinary inmates, close custody program, mental health, high security, and general population inmates who are involved in a wide variety of programs including educational, vocational, and addiction services.

In response to an increase of a young population, a youthful offender mentoring program was established. Emphasis is placed on the development of positive peer relationships, understanding criminal culture, substance abuse, basic life skills, employment counseling, and release planning.

The facility is named in honor of John R. Manson, the department's second commissioner who served from 1971-1983.  He also served as Deputy Commissioner from 1968-1971.

The Manson Youth Institution formerly known as the Cheshire Youth Institution opened on October 12, 1982 as a level 4 facility with a population of 360 male offenders, ages 16 to 21 situated on 76 acres.

On September 17, 1985 the facility was rededicated as the John R. Manson Youth Institution in honor of the late Commissioner John R. Manson. In January of 1986 the facility doubled their cells and was completed on December 1, 1988.

In 1994, a 155,000 square foot H.E.T. (Health Education & Training) building opened, containing 22 classrooms, a library, vocational education programming, a full-sized gymnasium, a chapel, mental health and medical facilities, a full production kitchen, laundry, and a warehouse.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

Non-contact visits are allowed for the general population on weekdays between 5:30 pm and 9:00 pm. On weekends, non-contact visits are allowed between 6:45 pm and 9:00 pm.

Contact visits are only allowed on Saturdays and Sundays between 8:45 am and 6:30 pm. 

For a detailed visiting schedule click here.

Getting on the approved visiting list

Before you can visit an inmate, you must be added to their approved visiting list. When an inmate first arrives at the facility, they are allowed to set up a visiting list, and the visiting forms will be sent by their counselor to those who are designated by the offender.  

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

Any visitor who is 18 years of age or older must be on the approved visiting list. 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 inmate to notify you when you have been added to the visiting list.

General Visiting Rules

You must present a current, photo identification 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. 

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.

All correspondence that you send to an inmate must include their full name and inmate number. 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 Manson Youth Institution are not able to receive incoming calls, but they can call you collect if you have a Securus account. 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.

Click on one of the links below to send money to an inmate:

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.

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.

​Programs For ​Inmates

Adjustment Disorders Group:

This 12 week cognitive behavioral therapy program is designed to address many of the difficulties inmates experience when initially adjusting to incarceration. The program presents a pragmatic approach with an emphasis on the development of appropriate coping skills. 

Anger Management:

This 10-week program includes skill building, cognitive techniques, relaxation techniques, and role play. In addition, an assessment tool to ensure program fidelity audits this program. This program can be modified for special populations.

Behavior Intervention - Unlock Your Thinking:

This four-session program is designed as a brief intervention for those offenders who are serving short periods of incarceration. Participants are encouraged to think about the difference between what they are feeling and thinking, and how feeling based distortions can get in the way of productive communications. Participants are introduced to common thinking patterns that lead to frustration, distortion, and avoidance of personal responsibility. 

CONNTAC-EOC (CT Talent Assistance Cooperative-Education Opportunity Center):

Representatives from CONNTAC-EOC are provided with names of students to meet with while the student is still incarcerated. The representatives assist students with their post-secondary plans and financial aid.

Current Events Group:

This group provides offenders with current information on events occurring in society by utilizing different media sources, including but not limited to newspapers, magazines, articles, journals, and radio/television reports. 

Fresh Start Youth Mentoring Program:

This program offers a comprehensive reentry program to help individuals and their families make a successful transition from incarceration into the community. A re-entry plan is designed with each individual 3 months before the scheduled release date. 

Who qualifies? Bridgeport area residents with three to six months to discharge, firm parole or Transitional Supervision date. Family Reentry coordinates youthful offender mentoring programs for young men and women aged 14-18. 

Services offered: Individual and family therapy, specialized domestic violence offender programs, substance abuse recovery counseling, life skills programs, parenting education, anger management, Fathers Helping Fathers groups, connections to service providers for housing, employment and job skills development, health care, financial aid, and legal assistance.

Getting Along and Keeping Cool:

An evidence based, manual-guided, 10 session cognitive behavioral intervention designed for adolescents to learn anger management skills. This program was based on prior outcome research on Anger Management. 

This 10 week program includes skill building, cognitive techniques, relaxation training, and role play. The youth-specific version was developed in regards to principles of youth-specific programming for male youthful offenders. In addition, an assessment tool is included to ensure fidelity to the treatment model. Baseline and follow-up information are collected for outcomes analysis, as well as, post-group participant interview satisfaction data. 

I Am Music:

This eight-session course is designed to improve the self-esteem, self-expression, and self-recognition of young men through exposure to various styles of music and its components such as rhythm and sound. The discussions and lessons, including team-building activities for musical production, provide a unique and creative opportunity for educational and personal skill development as the participants communicate with each other in a positive atmosphere.

Life Skills - A New Freedom:

This program is a 24-hour curriculum specific to juvenile offenders that will discuss educational subject matter in nutrition and better hygiene, managing money, as well as social/behavioral subjects such as criminal values, friends and peers, use of leisure time, and how to connect to your community. The program will explore anger management skill building and stress management while teaching coping skills to the participants. 

Pictures of Manson Youth Institution

Careers at Manson Youth Institution

The Manson Youth Institution is staffed by correction officers, clergy, maintenance, clerical, and counselors. To explore career options within the Department of Correction click here.