why are there rings around the transistor?

These rings are the P+ guard rings for the substrate (or bulk) contact. They are laid out as such as a means to better isolate the drain/source from other things.

where should these be connected?

The P+ rings should be connected to Vss (or to the lowest potential). If it were the N+ ring of a Pmos, it then should be connected to Vdd (or to the highest potential)