New Haven Independent

The red ceremonial ribbon was cut at the new Virginia Wells House at 86 Sherman Ave. on Tuesday morning, marking the official opening of Connecticut’s first transitional housing facility dedicated specifically to women on probation, in pre-trial, or transitioning through the judicial system. Doing the honors were Wells’ family and many local and state dignitaries: from left to right in the above photo, daughter Jennifer Wells; Ann Boyd, board chair of Project MORE, which will operate the facility; the late Virginia Wells’ sister Delores Greenlee; William Carbone, executive director of the state’s Court Support Services Division (CSSD), which funded it; and Anthony Wells, the proud son

Named in honor and memory of Wells, a longtime activist and city fire commissioner in the 1980s, the handsome building, with 20 beds, on three floors is already filled and in use by women (and their children)

Carbone said the new facility is answering, statewide, a growing and pressing need. “This place represents an important bridge for women and vital new option for judges sentencing them. All the research tells us that women who have committed non-violent crimes who are transitioning from incarceration to the community have specific and unique needs. They need to talk in groups among themselves so they can build confidence; they need to receive help tailored to school, to raising children, to employment, keeping appointments at treatment facilities. The Virginia Wells House will be the place where such successful transition can happen. With 25 women waiting for each spot at the house, we in the state need to replicate this option and build many more houses like this one.”

“You would think it’s a no-brainer that the state does not already have more such gender-specific housing,” said Maureen Luddy, who’s in charge, statewide, of placement for transitioning prisoners. She’s to the left in the photo along with Robert Keene, of Keene Home Improvement, who owns the building and renovated it for Project MORE, and Michael Aiello and Dean Delloiacono, also of CSSD. “We have about 500 spots statewide, and they are almost always filled, but 12 percent of those incarcerated are women, and so for every bed at Virginia Wells, we have 25 people waiting. Priority, I believe, has been given to pregnant women, and women with children.”

So, why aren’t there more Virginia Wells type houses? “It’s a question of money,” Luddy answered.

But money is only half the answer, according to New Haven State Rep. Bill Dyson, also on hand to give greetings, in recognition of his help in providing the funds at the state level for the Virginia Wells House. “It’s also overcoming the NIMBY syndrome,” he said. “But this neighborhood, with its history of people like Virginia Wells, is open to it. Recidivism,” he said, “is a big problem, and hopefully having a place to go to when you’re on probation and your life at home is in trouble and you shouldn’t stay there, or a place where people can help coordinate your needs, will make the difference so people will not go back to jail. Then we don’t have to build more jails, and we can use that money for more treatment and more services like this one.”

The Project MORE staff on hand to coordinate the event, including, in the photo, from left to right, Martin Lynch, director of programs, planning and development (the founder of Project MORE, Warren Kimbro, was unavoidably detained at the hospital), staff accountant Roberto Burgos, and Jerry Smart, a re-entry coordinator, all agreed.

So, why, with the need so great, did New Haven become the place where the facility was sited? “We wrote a good proposal, ” Lynch answered, “but Rep. Dyson is right. We’re known in this community. We went through the zoning board and zoning board of appeals, because technically the facility is, in real estate terms, a rooming house. So approvals, variances, and so forth. However, we’ve been around for decades and it’s known that we’re dedicated to the city. Our vans say: ‘Project MORE, Giving back to the community.’ And frankly, in our view, a place like the Virginia Wells House is going to make this an even better community.

And Virginia Wells would like that. In her closing remarks, her sister Delores Greenlee (to the left in the photo, with Wells’ beaming grandchildren Amber and Anthony, Jr.) said: “Virginia was New Haven. And she was especially dedicated to women. She’ll be looking down and smiling. For us too it will be nice to ride down the street and see a little bit of her continuing on through the Virginia Wells House.”