Daniel “Danny” Ocasio
Photograph of Daniel, obtained from his obituary.
Daniel Ocasio was a wonderful son, a great friend, and a selfless human being. He was born in Hartford, Connecticut on June 7, 1988 to parents Charles and Nilda Feliciano Johnson and grew up in between his childhood home there and Windsor, Connecticut. He was deeply loved by his family and the community he served in his role at the Chrysalis Center in Hartford, where he worked as a counselor and community case manager, providing crucial services to homeless clients dealing with addiction, mental illness and poverty. Since 2011, Daniel worked hard to ensure that all of his clients had access to a variety of treatment and rehabilitative options, helping them to find safe and affordable housing, as well as empowering them to re-enter the workforce. His clients often sang his praises, describing him as an ideal counsellor due to the profound kindness, generosity, and thoughtfulness with which he treated everyone he worked with, as well as his natural ability to find the good in everyone. In addition to his work, Daniel was also a few credits away from finishing his Masters in Social Work at St. Joseph’s University in West Hartford, after graduating from University of Connecticut in 2010 with a B.A. in social work.
On August 12, 2020, at just 32 years old, Daniel was found dead in his cell with a mask around his neck, at the Corrigan-Radgowski Correctional Center in Montville, Connecticut where he had been quarantining for just over a week. His life continues to be celebrated and mourned by his family, friends, and all the people whose lives he touched every day.
Daniel’s profile picture, obtained from LinkedIn.
Following Daniel’s tragic suicide, David McGuire, the executive director of ACLU Connecticut said that the Department of Corrections has a “constitutional and moral responsibility to keep the people it incarcerates safe. Daniel Ocasio should still be alive today.” He continued, “[T]he DOC had a duty to prevent his death. We expect and demand the DOC complete a full investigation into how it allowed someone to die like this on its watch.” Despite the ACLU’s comprehensive investigation into Daniel’s death, it is still unclear if he received mental health services during his quarantine, since mental health services at the prison were severely limited during the pandemic. At the Corrigan-Radgowski Correctional Center, where Daniel had been incarcerated for a week as a result of not being able to pay his $10,000 bond, one-on-one sessions with a therapist or counselor were replaced by cell-side meetings, which were often not private. Moreover, not only could Daniel not access mental health services, but he was also not put on suicide watch, and he was left alone to quarantine upon his arrival in prison despite the judge at his arraignment ordering him to “get mental health attention.”
One has only to visit Daniel’s online obituary to get a sense of the love and respect the people who knew him felt for him:
“Daniel you were like a nephew to me,” wrote Emely DeJesus. “My heart is broken! I will never forget you and all the wonderful times we spent since we met at Chrysalis Center. You were an awesome kind hearted warm loving caring super sweet super hero to me! You brought me peace so many times! We had a special bond and it was clear everyone knew! I will always love you and will keep your memories and spirit alive! Love you always my sweet Nephew!”
“I was good friends with Danny when we were in middle and high school,” wrote Nathaniel Viera-Davis. “He was always such [a] positive and fun guy. His loss will be felt deeply. His family is in my thoughts always.”
“No words are enough,” wrote Denise Viera. “My deepest condolences to Danny’s entire family. Nilda you raised a thoughtful, caring, loving son. I’m blessed to have known him as a child and young man. He will be missed; but, may he rest peacefully.”
The negligence shown by the DOC and the Corrigan-Radgowski Correctional Center in treating Daniel with the attention and humanity he deserved stole a son from Charles and Nilda; a brother from Daniel’s brother and two sisters; an uncle from his nephew; and a nephew from his 14 aunts and uncles. Daniel also leaves to mourn his passing beloved family friends, Chip and Barbara French of Windsor, and a host of cousins and dear friends. We stand with them all in mourning Daniel’s passing and in celebrating his life.
This memorial was written by MOL team members Ilyana Benjelloun and Eliza Kravitz with information from Daniel’s online obituary and LinkedIn profile, reporting by Lisa Backus at the CT Post, Kelan Lyons at the CT Mirror, and a statement from the ACLU Connecticut.