Osborn Correctional Institution

Osborn Correctional Institution (OCI) is a state prison for men of the Connecticut Department of Correction located in Somers, Connecticut. It has capacity of 1900 inmates, making it amongst the largest prisons in the state and one of the oldest operational facilities in Connecticut.

Osborn Correctional Institution

Location	335 Bilton Road, Somers, Connecticut 06071
Status	Operational
Security class	Level 3 (Medium)
Capacity	1,900
Opened	1963
Managed by	Connecticut Department of Correction

It housed the state's execution chamber[1] from 1994 to 2015, when capital punishment was declared unconstitutional.[2] It also housed the male death row inmates until 1995 when they were transferred to the nearby Northern Correctional Institution.[3]

History

OCI was opened in November 1963, it served as a replacement for Old Wethersfield State Prison, it was originally the state's maximum-security prison until 1994 when it was declared into medium security prison.

Notable inmates

• Michael Bruce Ross, convicted serial killer, was executed by lethal injection on May 13, 2005.
• Francis Clifford Smith, The oldest living and longest serving inmate in both Connecticut and U.S history, as well as the second longest serving inmate in world history.[4][5]

References

1. "Administration of Capital Punishment Directive Number 6.15." Connecticut Department of Correction. October 19, 2004. 1/9. Retrieved on August 16, 2010. "Execution Area. A series of four (4) contiguous rooms in the Osborn Correctional Institution comprised of the..."
2. "Connecticut Death Penalty Law Is Unconstitutional, Court Rules". New York Times. August 15, 2015. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
3. "Northern Correctional Institution." Connecticut Department of Correction. Retrieved on August 16, 2010.
4. http://www.oldest.org/people/prisoners/
5. http://www.ctinmateinfo.state.ct.us/detailsupv.asp?id_inmt_num=16370