York Correctional Institution

The York Correctional Institution is a high-security facility located in Niantic, Connecticut, and it is the state's only institution for female offenders.  It serves all superior courts in Connecticut and manages all pretrial and sentenced female offenders, whatever their security level. The average age of female inmates at York is 35.

The York Correctional Institution has received international attention for the programs and management of its offender population.

The history of York starts with the Niantic Correctional Institution, which was founded in 1918 as the Connecticut State Farm and Reformatory for Women. In 1930, an addition added to the population capacity and the facility was renamed the Niantic Correctional Institution.  With the transfer of women from the State Prison in Wethersfield, it became the only correctional institution for women in Connecticut.

The York Correctional Institution opened in October of 1994 and was named in honor of Janet S. York, who served as the Warden of the Niantic Correctional Institution from 1960-1975 and as a deputy commissioner for the agency from 1969-1977.

In 1996, the York Correctional Institution and the Niantic Correctional Institution were consolidated into one facility keeping the York Correctional Institution as its name. This facility is situated on 425 acres.

In June 2005, the Charlene Perkins Reentry Center was dedicated in honor of a past deputy warden.  The 100-bed stand alone unit assists in preparing appropriate female offenders who are within 18 months with skills they will need for community reentry.   

In February 2016, this unit became the “Keys to Success” Community Reintegration Unit; a specifically designed program of support and accountability by applicable female offenders cultivating their path toward successful community reintegration.

In 2008, the institution was named the Facility of the Year by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care for its excellence in health service delivery.  The accompanying accreditation has been renewed as of June of 2011.

In June 2011, with the closing of the adjoining Gates Correctional Institution, an annex housing 225 men at the time was renamed the Niantic Annex and was transferred to the supervision of the Warden of York Correctional Institution.  This was done to insure continued support of the surrounding communities with inmate work crews as well as facilitate the reintegration of offenders who are from south eastern Connecticut.

In January 2016, the Niantic Annex was closed due to a continued decline in Connecticut's prison population.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

There are visiting hours every day at York, but the specific hours are sometimes based on the inmate’s DOC number. To get a detailed visiting schedule, click here.

Getting on the approved visiting list

Before you can visit an inmate, you must be placed on their approved visiting list. When an inmate first arrives at Willard-Cybulski, they are allowed to set up a visiting list, and the inmate’s counselor will send out the visiting forms directly to the person designated by the offender.  

This means that before you are allowed to visit, you must let the inmate know that you wish to visit so they can have their counselor send you the form.

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.

Any adult visitor who is 18 years of age or older must be on the 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

We recommend that you contact the facility prior to visitation to confirm the visiting schedule and to insure that the inmate you plan to visit has not lost his or her visiting privileges.

You must have a current photo ID to visit. Proper forms of ID include a driver’s license, state-issued ID, a passport, or a military ID. 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 correspondence that you send to an inmate must include their full name and inmate number. Do not use padded mailing envelopes because they are considered a security issue.

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. You are not allowed to send in food or clothing packages for inmates.

Those engaging in correspondence with offenders are encouraged to exercise caution with regard to the release of any personal information that could compromise their safety.

Pen Pal Website Warning from the Connecticut Department of Corrections

Discretion is advised when utilizing inmate information from alternative sources such as pen pal websites that may be misleading or intentionally inaccurate.  The Department does not control the content of information posted on inmate pen pal websites, nor are inmates allowed Internet access. On a case by case basis, and where possible, the Department does review the responses sent to inmates from pen pal websites to determine if they are consistent with the safety and security of the correctional facility and the rehabilitative interests of the offender.

How to Call an Inmate

Inmates at York Correctional Institution can’t receive incoming calls, but they do have access to phones and can make collect calls during approved 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 at York with a money order by using the postal service, or you can use a debit or credit card with JPAY, TouchPay, or Western Union.

By U.S. Mail

When sending a money order, it is important to have complete and legible remitter information included with it. For your convenience, you can download Inmate Trust Fund Remitter Form and send it with the money order to: 

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

Online

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 Deposit

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., 00123456Jones.

​Programs For ​Inmates

The programming units at the facility have an extensive array of positive interventions for the population, including the 80-bed intensive, inpatient drug treatment unit, the Marilyn Baker House.  A Hospice program trains inmate volunteers to provide end of life care to fellow offenders.

The Department's Correctional Enterprise of Connecticut manages a program based at this facility in which offenders are employed on projects including tailoring offender uniforms.

Girl Scouts Behind Bars, for the daughters of incarcerated women, reflects recent research that enhanced visitation may reduce the possibility of the mother returning to prison and/or the daughter becoming an offender.

The Mommy and Me program provides an enhanced family-focused visitation for mothers, children, and their caregivers. In order to participate, mothers are required to be enrolled in or have completed a parenting program at York CI and their children must be on their approved visitor list. Additional information on the program can be accessed by contacting the program coordinator at 860-451-3128.

Female offenders have spoken to many school and local organizations, as well as at-risk-youth. Community service crews have assisted at the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, Camp Hazen, the New London Housing Authority, and OpSail 2000.

The facility is also home to the Second Chance Corral, a partnership with the Connecticut Department of Agriculture which provides restorative shelter for abused farm animals which are cared for by the inmate population. 

• 12-Step Programs

12 step fellowship self-help group is for women who provide mutual support in obtaining and maintaining sobriety while also helping others to recover from addiction. Meetings are held on a weekly basis. Programs include Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous,  Sponsorship Behind the Walls, Al-Anon, and Alcoholics AnonymousㄧSpanish.

• Advanced TREM

Advanced TREM (Trauma Recovery and Empowerment Model) is a gender specific, trauma informed recovery group that meets for 16 weeks. It constitutes Phase Three of the CHANGE program which is a series of mental health, trauma informed, and gender responsive programs. Therefore, it is assumed that all participants have completed TARGET (Trauma Affect Regulation Guide for Education and Treatment), Phase One and TREM, Phase Two. The group is designed to expound on concepts learned in TREM by providing a safe group for female offenders to learn more about trauma and to continue to share their studies. 

• Alternatives to Violence

Certified AVP volunteers lead basic, intermediate workshops to teach inmates to understand and to control anger, and how to cope with violence in their lives. Participants completing both basic and advanced workshops qualify for selection to become peer mentors.

• Art Therapy

This group is designed to allow offenders the opportunity to express themselves through art in a therapeutic and structured environment. It allows offenders with no developed skills the opportunity to creatively express themselves by using basic art forms (drawing, painting, coloring and tracing).

• Beyond Violence: A Prevention Program for Women

The curriculum uses a Social-Ecological Model to understand and contextualize violence. This four-level model of violence prevention considers the complex interplay between individual, relationship, community, and societal factors. It addresses the factors that put people at risk for experiencing or perpetrating violence. This model is used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and was used in the Prison Rape Elimination ACT research on women in prison.

• Books for Babies

Through Read to Grow Organization, this program provides a literacy packet to families with babies born at one of five hospitals. The goal is to promote early literacy by ensuring that every newborn receives a book and by encouraging parents to share books with their baby from birth. The supplies are delivered and we assemble the supplies creating these packages. 

• CARE PROGRAM: Cope, Affirm, Renew, Empower

The CARE Program is an intensive outpatient program designed for long term offenders. Programming is gender responsive and addresses quality of life, adjustment, resilience, hope, substance use, trauma, interpersonal discord, mental health issues, and spirituality. Treatment modalities will include a mixture of group psychotherapy, recreational therapies, spiritual opportunities, and independent learning activities facilitated by a number of disciplines dedicated to the program. 

• Connecticut College Tutoring Program

The York Tutoring Program supplements education in correctional institutions by preparing volunteers, primarily college students, to provide free, quality tutoring and related programming to support the academic achievement of incarcerated people. 

• Defy Ventures

Defy Ventures is an employment, entrepreneurship, and personal development training program that supports the incarcerated and formerly incarcerated to become successful, legal entrepreneurs and employees. The program is designed to “transform the hustle” and maximize the potential of Entrepreneurs-in-Training (EITs) impacted by the criminal justice system by building redemptive communities that pursue entrepreneurship and personal growth. 

• Survivors of Sexual Abuse/Trauma & Empowerment

This group provides a safe environment where victims of sexual abuse can share their experience, beliefs about abuse and begin the healing process. The group help participants gain insight into how abuse has influenced their lives and how to increase their self-esteem.

Pictures of York Correctional Institution

Careers at York Correctional Institution

York Correctional Institution is staffed by a variety of people including correction officers, clergy, maintenance, clerical, and counselors. To explore career options within the Department of Correction, click here.