Council 4 Is Making Sure Your Voice Is Heard!

The leaders of your union and the other AFSCME Council 4 Department of Corrections locals have continually spoken up to voice the concerns of the correctional staff who spend every day in the difficult environment of Connecticut's state prisons—and AFSCME Council 4 has heard those concerns. The message couldn’t be clearer: the reality facing correctional officers today —chronic understaffing, rising assaults, and the flood of drugs into our facilities—demands action. 

That’s why we’ve launched a new, dedicated Corrections Communications committee—to meet this moment of crisis with clarity, urgency, and purpose. This committee exists to do two things: (1) build a stronger, faster communication pipeline between AFSCME Council 4 and the correctional staff on the front lines, and (2) raise public awareness about the real conditions inside our prisons—conditions the public rarely sees, but our members face every day. 

Already, it’s making an impact. NBC Connecticut recently ran two powerful interviews: one with Local 391 President Robert Beamon, after a serious drug exposure incident at MacDougall-Walker CI that hospitalized five officers, and another with Officer Kyle Popec, on the flood of K2 and drug-laced letters into the state’s Correctional facilities. Both interviews aired on the nightly news, and both reminded the public just how serious the job of a correctional officer really is. Also, due to our efforts, there have recently been a dozen stories about violent staff assaults inside of Connecticut’s correctional facilities. 

This work is just beginning, and we want to hear from you! We invite all correctional officers to send us an email ([email protected]) to share what issues you want to see addressed, and to tell us how we can better communicate with you. 

Our strength lies in our unity. With your input, we will strengthen our collective voice and ensure the vital work of correctional staff receives the respect and recognition it deserves.