Pay-to-Stay Advocacy

For too long, Connecticut has charged individuals for the cost of their own imprisonment. The Center is proud to be part of a coalition mobilizing for reform—and we’re delighted that the General Assembly is considering a long-overdue bill to repeal the state’s draconian “pay-to-stay” law.

Director Kiel Brennan-Marquez and Student Fellow Mumina Egal submitted testimony supporting the reform bill, and Mumina and other affiliates wrote an Op-Ed on the burdens of pay-to-stay legislation. The Center is also developing a white paper addressing the broader due process issues with pay-to-stay laws.

In April, the Center hosted activist litigants Da’ee McKnight and Fred Hodges on campus. They spent the afternoon with students sharing how they were impacted by Connecticut’s pay-to-stay laws, discussing their activism, and brainstorming future paths to reform. Learn more about Da’ee and Fred’s story in this article.