Two out of three inmates of Connecticut prisons have serious addiction problems, according to a report sponsored by the Drug Policy Alliance.

The Stamford Advocate reported April 18 that the study, cosponsored by the A Better Way Foundation, said that serious alcohol and other drug problems are widespread among Connecticut's 20,000 inmates, and called for abolishing mandatory minimum drug sentences and investing more money in addiction treatment and reentry programs.

However, Connecticut Gov. Jodi Rell ordered a halt to paroles in September after a pair of parolees killed two women in a home invasion inCheshire, Conn., last July. Since then, the state's prison population has risen to about 20,000.

The report and some lawmakers urged the governor to ease parole restrictions and fund new halfway houses for released inmates. "Unless measures are quickly taken to bring prison populations back under control, taxpayers are likely to find themselves burdened with excessive costs," the report said.