Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 325 - Department of Correction
Section 18-85. - Compensation of inmates. Deposit in account. Disbursement priorities.

(a) The Commissioner of Correction, after consultation with the Commissioner of Administrative Services and the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, shall establish a schedule of compensation for services performed on behalf of the state by inmates of any institution or facility of the department. Such schedule shall recognize degrees of merit, diligence and skill in order to encourage inmate incentive and industry.

(b) Compensation so earned shall be deposited, under the direction of the Commissioner of Correction, in an account in a savings bank or state bank and trust company in this state or an account administered by the State Treasurer. Any compensation so earned shall be paid to the inmate on the inmate's release from incarceration in the form of a debit card, except that the commissioner may, while the inmate is in custody, disburse any compensation earned by such inmate in accordance with the following priorities: (1) Federal taxes due; (2) restitution or payment of compensation to a crime victim ordered by any court of competent jurisdiction; (3) payment of a civil judgment rendered in favor of a crime victim by any court of competent jurisdiction; (4) victims compensation through the criminal injuries account administered by the Office of Victim Services; (5) state taxes due; (6) support of the inmate's dependents, if any; (7) the inmate's necessary travel expense to and from work and other incidental expenses; (8) costs of such inmate's incarceration under section 18-85a and regulations adopted in accordance with said section; and (9) payment to the clerk of the court in which an inmate, confined in a correctional facility only for payment of a fine, was convicted, such portion of such compensation as is necessary to pay such fine. Any interest that accrues shall be credited to any institutional fund established for the welfare of inmates. Compensation under this section shall be in addition to any compensation received or credited under section 18-50.
(1967, P.A. 152, S. 13; 1969, P.A. 297; P.A. 77-614, S. 126, 273, 610; P.A. 87-282, S. 14; P.A. 88-300, S. 1; P.A. 93-310, S. 26, 32; P.A. 04-234, S. 16; P.A. 07-158, S. 1; P.A. 13-69, S. 2; P.A. 18-155, S. 6; P.A. 21-85, S. 7.)
History: 1969 act replaced jails with community correctional centers; P.A. 77-614 required consultation with commissioner of administrative services and secretary of the office of policy and management rather than with council of correction and personnel policy board; P.A. 87-282 deleted reference to “superintendent”; P.A. 88-300 amended provision re disbursement of compensation by requiring following priorities as Subdivs. (1) to (9): Federal taxes due, restitution or compensation to crime victim, payment of civil judgment, victims compensation, state taxes due, support of dependents, travel expense to and from work, costs of board and payment of fine; P.A. 93-310 changed commission on victim services to office of victim services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 04-234 amended Subdiv. (8) to replace “costs of his board as determined by the commissioner” with “costs of such inmate's incarceration under section 18-85a and regulations adopted in accordance with said section” and made a technical change, effective June 8, 2004; P.A. 07-158 inserted Subsec. designators (a) and (b), amended Subsec. (b) to substitute “compensation” for “sums”, add “in an inmate's individual account” and provide that funds from such account may be transferred to the inmate's discharge savings account, and made technical changes, effective July 1, 2007; P.A. 13-69 amended Subsec. (b) by substituting references to Commissioner of Correction for references to administrative head of institution or facility, and warden or Community Correctional Center Administrator, replacing requirement that compensation be deposited in inmate's individual account with requirement that deposit be in account in a savings bank or state bank and trust company in this state or in account administered by State Treasurer, adding new Subdiv. (8) re deposits credited to inmate's discharge savings account under Sec. 18-84a, redesignating existing Subdivs. (8) and (9) as Subdivs. (9) and (10), amending redesignated Subdiv. (10) by substituting reference to correctional facility for reference to community correctional center, and making technical changes, effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 18-155 deleted former Subsec. (b)(8) re deposits credited to inmate's discharge savings account under Sec. 18-84a and redesignated existing Subsecs. (b)(9) and (b)(10) as Subsecs. (b)(8) and (b)(9); P.A. 21-85 provided that upon an inmate's release earned compensation be paid in the form of a debit card, effective January 1, 2022.

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