HARTFORD, CT - Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he is appointing DeVaughn L. Ward of New London to serve as Connecticut’s interim correction ombudsman.

In this newly established position, which was created by legislation approved by the General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Lamont, Ward will be responsible for regularly reviewing and evaluating the operations of correctional facilities under the authority of the Connecticut Department of Correction (DOC), communicating with individuals in DOC custody and taking actions to ensure their rights, and recommending procedure and policy revisions to DOC.

Ward will begin serving in the position on September 23, 2024. He becomes the first person to serve as correction ombudsman, however his service will be in an interim capacity and will run concurrently with a statutorily required process that recently began and is being overseen by the Correction Advisory Committee to search for and evaluate candidates who can be recommended to the governor for consideration to be nominated to the role on a permanent basis. The person who is eventually nominated to be the permanent correction ombudsman will need to be confirmed by the General Assembly and then will serve a two-year term.

The position is administratively held within the Connecticut Office of Governmental Accountability, the state agency consisting of several independent divisions that have oversight into certain functions of state government. It is a full-time role.

“An independent authority who can evaluate the operations of correctional facilities will provide a valuable voice on behalf of individuals while they are in custody,” Governor Lamont said. “I appreciate DeVaughn for his willingness to take on this role and get this new office up and running so that it can be functional and operating sooner rather than later. DeVaughn is well-known in Connecticut as an advocate on behalf of those impacted by the correctional system, and his extensive experience and the work he has been doing in private practice will transfer well to his service as ombudsman.”

Ward is currently a managing attorney at Ward Law LLC, where he has worked since 2016. Located in Hartford, this private law practice primarily focuses on representing individuals and small businesses in civil and criminal litigation in both state and federal court. Several of his recent cases involved representing inmates and advocating for their rights while in custody.

From 2020 to 2023, he served as senior legislative counsel for the Marijuana Policy Project, an organization based in Washington, DC that advocates for legalizing cannabis in states across the U.S. In this capacity, Ward was the primary point of contact, lobbyist, and legislative analyst for the medical cannabis states of Florida, Hawaii, Pennsylvania, and Puerto Rico, the adult-use states of Connecticut, Maine, New Jersey, New York, and Vermont.

He has also held several positions in state and local government in Connecticut, including as director of intergovernmental affairs in the Office of the Mayor for the City of Hartford in 2016; as legislative liaison and executive assistant to the commissioner for the Connecticut Department of Public Health in 2015; and as an attorney for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection in 2014.

Ward earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Howard University in Washington, D.C., and a Juris Doctor degree and certificate in law and public policy from the University of Connecticut School of Law in Hartford. He is admitted to practice law in state and federal courts in Connecticut and he is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association and the Crawford Black Bar Association.

“I am deeply honored to be appointed as Connecticut’s interim correction ombudsman,” Ward said. “This position represents a critical step forward in ensuring that our correctional facilities are held to the highest standards of accountability and transparency. I look forward to working diligently with lawmakers, advocates, and incarcerated individuals to advance the rights and well-being of Connecticut’s incarcerated population, and to contribute to meaningful reforms that enhance our state’s criminal justice system. I am committed to approaching this role with the same passion and dedication that guided my legal advocacy for individuals affected by our justice system.”

Ward’s appointment is being applauded by State Senator Gary Winfield (D-New Haven), co-chair of the Judiciary Committee and one of the leading proponents of the legislation that created the correction ombudsman position.

“DeVaughn Ward has the expertise and values to serve as the new interim correction ombudsman in a way that fulfills the promise of this position,” Senator Winfield said. “I have complete confidence in his abilities and know he will be an exceptional advocate for those in our correctional facilities that for too long lacked a voice in how the criminal justice system is run.”

The Correction Advisory Committee consists of eleven members who are appointed by the governor and legislative leaders of both parties. Whenever there is a vacancy in the position of correction ombudsman, the committee is required by state statutes to manage a search process for candidates. The committee most recently held a meeting on July 22, 2024, to begin that process under this application round.