Conn. considering closing prison

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -  Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell has directed the state Department of Correction to consider closing one of the state's prisons to save money.

Rell on Friday cited a decline in the inmate population and the agency's success with programs intended to help released prisoners stay out of jail.

About 18,500 people are incarcerated in Connecticut, a drop from the record high of nearly 19,900 in February 2008.

Officials attribute the drop, in part, to re-entry programs that help inmates get jobs and housing after their release. The state's parole board also now works full time, allowing it to process parole cases more quickly.

Rell's request comes as Connecticut faces hundreds of millions of dollars in potential budget deficits over the next few years.

She wants corrections officials to make a recommendation by Nov. 27.