James W. Greene Jr.

1944 - 2021

James W. Greene, Jr., 77, of Chattanooga, TN, formerly of Newington and Tariffville, CT, passed away peacefully on January 14, 2021 with his family by his side. Jim was born on February 23, 1944 in Hartford to James and Catherine Greene. He grew up in Newington and enjoyed playing baseball, caddying at Indian Hill Country Club and spending summers at Hammonasset Beach State Park. He was a proud graduate of Newington High School (1962), Central Connecticut State College (1967) and UCONN Law School (1970). In 1971, Jim embarked on a long and storied career in law and criminal justice as part of the civil rights and social justice movements of the 1960s and early 70s. Initially, Jim oversaw the Legal Assistance to Prisoners program for the Connecticut Prison Association (CPA) providing legal representation to inmates in the prison system. After observing the conditions first hand, he initiated several lawsuits in federal court against the State of Connecticut in the 1980s concerning prison and jail overcrowding resulting in several agreements with the Department of Corrections to improve conditions. This culminated with Jim becoming a member of the Governor's Prison and Jail Overcrowding Committee where he used his talent for "creative thinking" to suggest other ways inmates could be housed and rehabilitated. As a result of these activities, Jim started the first Alternative Incarceration Centers (AIC) in 1988 as Program Director for the CPA. He developed Project Green, a program that provides inpatient drug treatment and vocational counseling combined with daily community service in the state park system and other community locations, to rehabilitate offenders. In 1992, he became a consultant to the CT Judicial Branch and assisted in expanding the AIC network statewide. His work in community-based sentencing, with an emphasis on "giving back to the community", was recognized by the US Department of Justice as being a particularly innovative and effective form of rehabilitation that then became a model used by other states across the country. Jim came up with the idea of having adult and juvenile probationers perform community service by assisting volunteer efforts to construct handicapped accessible playgrounds and serve at the Special Olympics, Nutmeg Games and other community events. Jim was proud to have accepted, on behalf of the Judicial Branch, a community leadership award from the Special Olympics in recognition of the substantial efforts of the branch's clients and employees at many Special Olympics events over the years including the World Games in New Haven. In 2005, he was invited to participate in the first China-US symposium on community-based criminal justice held in Shanghai. In 2007, Jim received the distinguished Liberty Bell Ward for community service and leadership at the Hartford County Annual Law Day celebration. During his career, Jim also enjoyed teaching criminal justice in the evening at the University of New Haven and his alma mater CCSU, helping to develop many future leaders in the field. In addition to his tremendous professional accomplishments, Jim coached basketball for 20 years with successful stints in Newington, Bloomfield, Hall High School in West Hartford and as Varsity Basketball Coach at Farmington High School from 1985 to 1990. During this time, he ran several basketball clinics, with his friend Coach Jack Phelan, at the Manson Youth Institution in Cheshire where he would bring high school players into the prison to play with incarcerated teens, which had a positive impact on all of the players- who realized their counterparts were really just the same as them but had made different choices. Jim loved sports particularly basketball, baseball, marathon running, racquetball, tennis, golf and kayaking. Jim even claimed to have invented the first "jog stroller" - pushing his young son Kevin in a prom stroller in runs around the West Hartford Reservoir with his law school classmate John Sponheimer, when such a thing was unheard of at the time. After first visiting the island in the late 1960s, Jim fell in love with Nantucket and in 1992 he realized his dream of opening a sea kayak business there with his sons, Kevin and Dan, nephew Alan Greene and friend Mike Kirkutis. Jim was proud that the successful summer business continues to the present day (31 years) under the ownership of Dan's friend Ryan Fitch. In retirement, Jim enjoyed following the accomplishments of his children and grandchildren, attending baseball games and golfing with his brother Jack, gardening, reading, finding great pubs and walking his dog on any beach or boardwalk that would have them. Jim was a unique and extraordinary man who used his keen intellect and creative mind to fight for social justice and lend a hand to those who were less fortunate or faced difficult challenges in life - believing the true measure of a person was what what they did to help others. Jim is survived by his wife Marianne Greene of Chattanooga, TN, his children Kevin Greene and wife Kristen of West Hartford, CT, Daniel Greene and fiancé Alessandra of Brooklyn, NY, his daughters Kristen Sims and husband Jason of Chattanooga, TN and Kate Greene of Boston, MA; and his grandchildren Ava and Cassidy Greene, Jack Aaron and Dan's daughter Emma Greene who was born two weeks before Jim's passing. Jim's family has appreciated the kind words and inspiring stories about Jim's accomplishments that have been passed along by many since his death. The Chattanooga Funeral Hone has handled arrangements and online condolences can be shared at DignityMemorial.com. Please consider making a donation in honor of Jim Greene to the Wilson-Gray YMCA (Albany Avenue, Hartford) at ghymca.org or the CT Humane Society Shelter at cthumane.org.