Ashad Hajela

New York, Raleigh

Data Reporter at New York Amsterdam News

CT Public Youth Justice and Race Reporter. Previously @SpotlightPA and @newsobserver. Email [email protected] for tips. DM for Signal.

Featured in: Favicon

spotlightpa.org Favicon

medium.com Favicon

msn.com

yahoo.com (+2) Favicon

inquirer.com Favicon

detroitnews.com Favicon

military.com Favicon

medicalxpress.com Favicon

post-gazette.com Favicon

charlotteobserver.com + 77 more

Articles

New CT prison ombudsman wants better care for the incarcerated

Nov 19, 2024 | ctmirror.org | Ashad Hajela |Connecticut Public

DeVaughn Ward knows what it’s like to have someone close to you in prison. When Ward was growing up around Hartford, some of his loved ones were incarcerated, including his brother, who spent 18 years in prison. Because of overcrowding, the state sent some incarcerated people to Virginia during that time. Ward attended nearby Howard University in Washington D.C., and visited with his brother in prison.
Lawsuit shows history of PCB contamination at Connecticut prison

Nov 1, 2024 | ctpublic.org | Ashad Hajela

Connecticut Public Radio | By Ashad Hajela Published November 1, 2024 at 5:15 PM EDT Jose Pesante remembers the conditions at Osborn Correctional Institution in Somers as among the worst he’s encountered. Osborn is Connecticut’s oldest prison. Pesante said when he was incarcerated there, the water tasted and looked off, and people were constantly getting sick, an observation he made as a volunteer certified nursing assistant.
Data shows racial inequities in CT youth justice programs, lawmaker says

Sep 20, 2024 | ctmirror.org | Ashad Hajela |Connecticut Public |Gabby DeBenedictis

Connecticut has been working to create opportunities to divert more kids away from juvenile court, and instead, provide opportunities and resources for justice-involved kids. One alternative is Juvenile Review Boards. They connect kids with things like therapy and community service. There are 90 Juvenile Review Boards, or JRBs, which serve 135 communities across the state.
Data shows racial inequities in CT youth justice programs, lawmaker says

Sep 16, 2024 | nhpr.org | Ashad Hajela

Connecticut has been working to create opportunities to divert more kids away from juvenile court, and instead, provide opportunities and resources for justice-involved kids. One alternative is Juvenile Review Boards. They connect kids with things like therapy and community service. There are 90 Juvenile Review Boards, or JRBs, which serve 135 communities across the state.
Water service restored at three Connecticut prison facilities after disruption

Aug 30, 2024 | ctpublic.org | Ashad Hajela

Connecticut Public Radio | By Ashad Hajela Published August 30, 2024 at 1:30 PM EDT Water service has been restored to three prison facilities in northern Connecticut after a temporary disruption forced the state to bring in bottled water and portable toilets for several thousand incarcerated people. A water main break on Wednesday morning cut off water at the Osborn, Robinson and Cybulski correctional facilities in Enfield and Somers, according to prison officials.
At Johnson Memorial, 'near misses' and a management change

Aug 2, 2024 | ctmirror.org | Ashad Hajela |Connecticut Public |Gabby DeBenedictis

William Meier, a selectman from Somers, says that Johnson Memorial Hospital has been a pillar of the community from the time he was growing up. The 92-bed hospital, located in nearby Stafford, has been operating for more than a century in north central Connecticut. Its services include a medical-surgical unit, ICU, emergency department and wound center, along with cardiac rehabilitation and physical therapy.
Reporter's Notebook: Enduring summer heat in a Connecticut prison

Jul 23, 2024 | ctpublic.org | Ashad Hajela

Connecticut Public Radio | By Ashad Hajela Published July 23, 2024 at 3:46 PM EDT As temperatures soared in recent weeks, most of us were able to cool off inside air conditioned homes. In fact, an estimated 90% of housing units in Connecticut use air conditioning equipment. Most Connecticut prisons also have centralized cooling systems. But that isn't the case at Osborn Correctional Institution, a medium security prison in Somers that houses more than 1,100 people.
'We're in a heat box': Sweltering summer felt in CT prison with limited air conditioning

Jul 18, 2024 | nhpr.org | Ashad Hajela

Willie Myers did everything he could to stay cool during summers at Osborn Correctional Institution. Myers was incarcerated for more than a decade at Osborn, a medium security prison in Somers that has one of the largest inmate populations in the state. More than 1,100 people are currently incarcerated at the facility, which is among the oldest prisons in Connecticut. And while most Connecticut prisons have air conditioning, Osborn lacks a central cooling system.
Connecticut prisons hiring more teachers to address shortage

Jul 12, 2024 | mainepublic.org | Ashad Hajela

Educational programs in the state prison system showed improvements recently, but continued to suffer from staff shortages, according to a recent annual report. The number of educational staff working in the prison school district sank near its lowest level in the last two decades during the 2022-23 school year, the report shows.
Reporter's Notebook: Juvenile arrests take different paths in some Connecticut towns

May 20, 2024 | ctpublic.org | Ashad Hajela

The state of Connecticut has been making progressive changes to the juvenile justice system for a few years now. The state incarcerates kids at a lower rate than most other states. Despite the progress, however, racial disparities remain, including in the rate of delinquency referrals for children accused of crimes. When a child is arrested, the case can take different paths.