The Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy mourns the loss of Jodi Rell, Connecticut governor from 2004 – 2011, who passed after a brief illness on November 20th at the age of 78. The Institute worked with the Rell administration on several policy initiatives during her tenure.
“She really humanized issues and sought to involve all residents in a vision for a healthier Connecticut, including those traditionally outcast during the ‘tough on crime’ era,” says IMRP director Andrew Clark.
Gov. Rell spoke at the Community Foundation of Greater New Haven in support of the recently passed Justice Reinvestment Act and Building Bridges pilot program in this 2004 clip.
“The change is not about programs. It’s about people,” noted Rell at that time. “It’s also about hope.”
“She set a standard that served as a beacon for people to govern themselves by,” recalls former State Representative Bill Dyson on his former House colleague and longtime friend. “In essence, she was grace personified – her word meant something, and she wasn’t afraid to act on it.”
In 2006, the Sentencing Task Force, the precursor to the current Connecticut Sentencing Commission, was created by Public Act 06-193 along with the establishment of a comprehensive reentry strategy and Criminal Justice Policy and Advisory Commission (CJPAC) within the Criminal Justice Policy and Planning Division (CJPPD) of the Office of Policy and Management (OPM).
Photo: Governor Rell signs Public Act 06-193 while current IMRP Director Andrew Clark (L) looks on. Also in attendance were state representatives Mike Lawlor and Bob Farr, CSG Justice Center team member LaToya McBean, and original CJPPD Undersecretary Brian Austin.
The bill passed unanimously by both the Senate and Democratic majority House.
House vote:
Total Number Voting 149
Necessary for Passage 75
Those voting Yea 149
Those voting Nay 0
Those absent and not voting 2
Senate vote:
Total Number Voting 36
Necessary for Adoption 19
Those voting Yea 36
Those voting Nay 0
Those absent and not voting 0
“This was a time when Connecticut policymakers came together in conversation and subsequent action over a series of legislative sessions during the Rell administration,” explains Clark. “Connecticut was reeling from the exponential growth in its prison population. Something needed to be done, and legislative leaders worked with the executive branch, supported by the judiciary, to craft a new path forward for our state: Justice Reinvestment. Governor Rell was at the forefront of these efforts, and Connecticut residents have her to thank for her leadership during this critical period.”
At the request of former state representative Lawlor, a moment of silence for the late Governor was held at the Connecticut Sentencing Commission’s annual symposium at University Connecticut School of Law on November 21st. More than 130 people were in attendance .