Gov. Ned Lamont visited Quinnipiac University Monday to discuss criminal justice reform with parolees and a national advocate.

Lamont, several state officials and CNN commentator Van Jones discussed how far Connecticut has come in terms of criminal justice reform and how far the state still needs to go.

The event started with a roundtable discussion where officials heard from former inmates and people still on parole and probation about their concerns and roadblocks faced after being released.

Van Jones spoke about the organizations he's involved with on a national scale, such as The Reform Alliance, which seeks to move people who are unjustly incarcerated out of the system and how places like Connecticut can make progress.

"They've taken classes, they've gotten certificates, they think they're going to be able to come home and do well, and they find doors closed in their faces," says Jones.

The Reform Alliance was started by Jay-Z and Meek Mill. Meek Mill was expected to speak at the event, but canceled. Jones is the CEO of the organization.

During his campaign, Lamont said he wanted to build on former Gov. Dannel Malloy's criminal justice reform record.