The persistent social issues that haunt Connecticut center on disparity: urban poverty encircled by wealth, the academic achievement gap between poor and more affluent students, and our criminal justice system, in which people of color are 70 percent of all prison inmates while being only 20 percent of the state's population.

Depending on which report you read, our state's disparities are the worst in the nation. All of these issues are related. Now, with the release of a state Office of Policy and Management report that says 80 percent of our formerly incarcerated citizens are rearrested within five years, the connection between recidivism and poverty is becoming clear.

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Pew [Center on the States] reports that in the past 10 years, 19 states have cut their rates of imprisonment. Each of these states experienced a decline in their crime rates. Re-entry planning should begin in prison and transfer seamlessly into the community. The formerly incarcerated should be prepared to get a job and contribute to their family and community. Such efforts will benefit our neediest and establish Connecticut as a national leader in addressing crime from a holistic perspective.

Read the full article at courant.com.