SEIU 1199NE Statement on 2018 Video Showing the Death of an Incarcerated Individual in DOC Custody

SEIU 1199 New England President Rob Baril issued a public letter addressing the graphic images from video footage depicting the 2018 death of J’Allen Jones inside a Connecticut correctional facility. The letter, posted to the union’s website, comes in anticipation of a court ruling on the video’s release. Attorneys for Jones’ estate, joined in separate filings by the ACLU of Connecticut and the Connecticut Examiner, have asked Judge Claudia Baio to release the full footage to the public.

The statement described images from the video as “horrific and deeply disturbing” and extended condolences to Jones’s family and loved ones. It noted that

“… knowing that even when medical staff did everything right, it is of little comfort to a family still grieving an unbearable loss.”

The letter warned that for decades, the state has continually divested funds from community health centers, mental health care, and other essential supports for working families. When the state fails to invest in the community services meant to serve as safety nets, the suffering does not end; it moves behind prison walls. The statement added that

“Healthcare professionals working within Connecticut’s Department of Correction are helpers and healers […] who save lives every day”,

and reaffirmed that “incarceration is not the end of a life or its contributions.” It called on elected officials to act with urgency to strengthen investments in community health, mental health access, safe staffing, and improved conditions for both workers and those in their care.