Eleanor Michael is a deputy commissioner at the Connecticut Department of Administrative Services.
Case
Connecticut charges incarcerated people up to $347 a day and can collect the debt for 20 years after release, including from settlements and inheritances. A 2026 investigation found the state collected about $21 million this way since 2020.
Role at the time: Deputy Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Administrative Services
Statement summary
Michael, a deputy commissioner at the Department of Administrative Services, said her agency implements the law set by the legislature and declined to weigh in on whether the underlying policy is right.
“We're not involved in the policy discussion here”
Michael explicitly frames her agency's role as implementation rather than policy judgment, declining to state whether the practice is justified.
Statement dates: September 27, 2026
