When Tracy DeSenti’s husband, Billy, died in 2023, she was already rebuilding a stable life in North Branford. The couple, both released from prison in the late 2000s, bought a 1959 split‑level home for $266,500, renovated it, and raised their family. After Billy’s death, the state of Connecticut sent a bill demanding $232,733 for his prison room‑and‑board costs, forcing Tracy to sell the house she had lived in for nearly a decade.
Pay‑to‑stay statutes and how they work
Connecticut’s “pay‑to‑stay” law, originally enacted in 1995, allows the Department of Correction to charge inmates a daily fee for the cost of housing, food, and medical care. The fee can be as high as $347 per day, meaning a year‑long incarceration can generate a debt of more than $127,000. The Department of Administrative Services (DAS) then collects those debts for up to twenty years after release.
When a former inmate receives an inheritance, lottery winnings, or a settlement, the state can seize up to half of those funds to satisfy the debt. The same applies when a former prisoner dies, allowing the state to claim assets left to spouses, children, or other heirs.
Tracy DeSenti’s case
Tracy, 57, and Billy met in a post‑incarceration program in New Haven and spent the next fifteen years turning their lives around. After Billy’s death, Tracy was told the state owed $232,733 for his time in prison. Although the court ultimately reduced the amount to roughly $21,000, DAS argued that the house must be sold to satisfy the debt. Probate court seized the property, locked Tracy out, and she now rents a home at more than double her previous mortgage payment.
Statewide impact
CT Mirror’s investigation found that from 2020 through mid‑2026 the state collected about $21 million from roughly 500 people each year, averaging $3.3 million annually. The law has been used to seize money from wrongful‑death settlements, medical‑malpractice awards, and other legal settlements. In one case, the state paid $2 million to a family for a child’s death in state foster care while simultaneously demanding $84,000 from the father for his prison debt.
Critics, including the ACLU of Connecticut, describe the daily fee as “unspeakably high” and argue it creates a regressive tax that punishes people long after they have served their sentences. Supporters claim the revenue helps balance the state budget and holds offenders accountable.
Financial significance
While the amount collected represents a tiny fraction of Connecticut’s overall budget—about 0.006% of the yearly operating budget and less than 0.5% of the corrections department’s expenditures—its impact on individuals can be devastating, often forcing the sale of homes or the loss of hard‑earned settlements.
Calls for reform
Advocates for criminal‑justice reform have long pushed to repeal or amend the pay‑to‑stay statutes, arguing they hinder reintegration and perpetuate intergenerational poverty. Recent legislative proposals aim to cap daily fees and limit the state’s ability to collect debts decades after release. However, despite several revisions and ongoing federal challenges, the system remains largely intact.
Tracy DeSenti’s story underscores the human cost of a policy that, while generating modest revenue for the state, can strip away the hard‑won stability of families who have already paid their debt to society.
Original reporting: The Connecticut Mirror — read the source article.
