October/November 2025
OSJ is preparing for the next legislative session beginning in February 2026. We begin with a mailing to all CT residents on the registry, followed by “meetups” in four communities in the state in November. We always include the capital of Hartford and one of the largest cities, New Haven. This year we will include Danbury and New London. Our aim is to continue to build a solid community across the state, a community that trusts and encourages OSJ Works and that ultimately will become engaged and empowered in the work. OSJ has seen an expansion of people showing up at the capitol for events and hearings.
We continue to expand the pardon program and recognize in some ways the risk and vulnerability our community raises by participating in this process. OSJ’s cofounder and President is part of a workgroup with other state leaders advancing a national communications project on messaging and a media campaign to be heard rather than be shut down by the ignorance and or innocence of society. We encourage everyone here in CT to become civically engaged. Exercise your right to cast your vote, but first learn the issues. A vote can make or break a campaign. The winning candidate will be voting on the bills affecting individuals on the registry and their families. You have the right to engage with these politicians, tell them your story, and ask how they will be voting on our issues.
In closing, I share with you an excerpt from a poignant piece we are submitting as an op-ed: I am a mother on the Registry. We are submitting anonymously to protect the children. The link to the complete piece is there.
My children mean the world to me. Like any good mother I try to support them as much as I possibly can; I work 60 hours a week just to make ends meet. However, I am not like most mothers. No matter how hard I try, I’m not able to be there for them the way they I know I should. What keeps me from being a normal, supportive mother is something intrusive, something I have absolutely no control over.
I do my grocery shopping early on Sunday mornings. With my work schedule, it’s the only time I can get there when there isn’t a crowd. The other day I was in line behind a woman with a 4 or 5-year-old little girl in her cart. The girl was breathlessly chatting her mom up about her favorite breakfast cereals. As I was going over my list making sure I hadn’t forgotten my daughter’s juice boxes or my son’s English Muffins, she looked up at me and asked “are those Lucky Charms for your kids?” It’s a simple enough question but one that stopped me in fear and created a pit in my stomach. I am not allowed to have contact with minors.
Read the full piece here: https://onestandardofjustice.org/op-ed-a-mother-on-the-registry
Read the full NARSOL newsletter here: https://view.publitas.com/p222-5250/the-narsol-digest-xviii-5-final/page/12-13