Tuesday was a critical day in the fate of a controversial plan to house state prisoners to a privately owned nursing home on West Street.
A story in the Hartford Courant reported that, after listening to arguments on both sides of the issue, Judge Antonio C. Robaina decided he was not ready to determine a decision or make any injunction either way.
The town was represented by Attorney Morris Borea. He motioned for the judge to stop the nursing home from opening. The town has a lawsuit pending against the owner of the home, operated by iCare Management LLC and SecureCare Realty LLC. To see more of that story, click here.
The Rocky Hill Town Council has condemed the project since it was unveiled.
AFSCME Local 387 President Moises Padilla, AFSCME Local 391 President Jon Pepe and AFSCME Local 1565 President Luke Leone issued this statement in advance of a public forum scheduled for Dec. 20 at Rocky Hill School:
“Taking prisoners who have been remanded to the Department of Correction and placing them under private supervision imperils public safety. It violates the trust of victims and the public. We urge legislators, including those who represent Rocky Hill, to table the concept and to address the concerns of all stakeholders, including front line state prison employees.”
Town officials also have a problem with not knowing what was going to be proposed on the site until December. To read more about this, click here.
Senator Paul Doyle and Representative Tony Guererra fulfilled their promise to introduce legislation into the General Assembly to try to prevent the center from opening. Their bill would prohibit the state from releasing incarcerated or institutionalized persons into a private convalescent residence without municipal consent.
Labeling the facility a nursing home also allows the state to circumvent Rocky Hill's regular zoning process. West Street is not zoned to accommodate a correctional institution.
Mayor LaRosa disagrees with the classification of the facility as a nursing center.
"This is not your typical nursing home. They're going to be locked down, and if they're locked down, to me, that's a prison."
