CFPB and Three States Sue Over Predatory Immigrant Bail and GPS Scam by David Reutter by David M. Reutter A federal lawsuit alleges that Nexus Services, Inc., “preys on consumers held in federal detention centers by offering to pay for consumers’ immigration bonds to secure their release.” In exchange, the …

Green v. MA DOC, MA, Class Action Complaint, Fake Drug Tests, 2021 COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS Suffolk, ss. JULIAN GREEN, EUGENE IVEY, JAMES P. MCKENNA, and LISA NEWMANPOLK, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated, Plaintiffs, v. MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION, CAROL MICI, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of …

Steiner v. eBay, MA, Complaint, Retaliation for Reporting, 2021 Case 1:21-cv-11181 Document 1 Filed 07/21/21 Page 1 of 93 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT COURT OF MASSACHUSETTS __________________________________________ | Ina Steiner, | David Steiner, | Steiner Associates, LLC, | (Publisher of EcommerceBytes) | Plaintiffs | | | | …

After DOJ Finds Unconstitutional Conditions for Mentally Ill Prisoners in Solitary, Massachusetts Experiments with Monitoring Gadget by Kevin Bliss, Keith Sanders by Kevin Bliss and Keith Sanders Six months after the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a highly critical report accusing the Massachusetts Department of Corrections (MADOC) of violating the …

News in Brief by Australia: A February 2021 ruling by the Supreme Court in the Australian province of Victoria presented “a rare win” for a prisoner contesting prison procedures, according to a report by The Conversation. The convict, 56-year-old Craig Minogue, argued that Barwon Prison’s random drug testing and strip-searching …

Massachusetts Medical Parole Cases and COVID-19 Prisoner Deaths by Edward Lyon by Ed Lyon As early as February 2020, medical and corrections experts warned criminal justice officials across the U.S. of the danger COVID-19 posed to crowded prison populations, encouraging them to parole as many prisoners as feasible. By late …

Committee for Public Counsel Services v. Chief Justice of the Trial Court, MA, Special Master's Weekly Report, Covid Response, 2021 COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT SUFFOLK, ss. SJC-12926 COMMITTEE FOR PUBLIC COUNSEL SERVICES AND MASSACHUSETTS ASSOCIATION OF CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYERS, Petitioners, v. CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE TRIAL COURT, ET …

Women, Incarceration, and Violent Crime, MA, 2021 Women,‌‌Incarceration,‌‌and‌‌Violent‌‌Crime:‌‌A‌‌Briefing‌‌in‌‌Response‌‌to‌‌ Plans‌‌for‌‌Building‌‌a‌‌New‌‌Women’s‌‌Prison‌‌in‌‌Massachusetts‌1‌ ‌ ‌ “[T]he‌‌effort‌‌to‌‌divide‌‌up‌‌the‌‌world‌‌into‌‌the‌‌violent‌‌and‌‌the‌‌nonviolent,‌‌or‌‌into‌‌any‌‌other‌‌sharply‌‌ drawn‌‌dichotomous‌‌categories,‌‌blinds‌‌us‌‌too‌‌often‌‌to‌‌the‌‌gradations‌‌that‌‌actually‌‌characterize‌‌ our‌‌collective‌‌life”‌‌(Sklansky,‌‌2021,‌‌p.‌‌5).‌ ‌ ‌ Introduction‌ ‌ The‌‌Massachusetts‌‌Department‌‌of‌‌Correction‌‌(DOC)‌‌has‌‌announced‌‌its‌‌intention‌‌to‌‌close‌‌ MCI-Framingham,‌‌the‌‌oldest‌‌functioning‌‌women’s‌‌prison‌‌in‌‌the‌‌country,‌‌by‌‌2024‌‌(Williams,‌‌ 2020).‌‌The‌‌primary‌‌state‌‌prison‌‌for‌‌women,‌‌MCI-Framingham‌‌currently‌‌houses‌‌fewer‌‌than‌‌200‌‌ women.‌2‌‌ ‌This‌‌number‌‌includes‌‌women‌‌awaiting‌‌trial‌‌as‌‌well‌‌as‌‌women‌‌sentenced‌‌on‌‌a‌‌wide‌‌ range‌‌of‌‌governing‌‌charges‌‌(Cannata‌‌et‌‌al.,‌‌2021).‌ ‌ To‌‌replace‌‌MCI-Framingham,‌‌Governor‌‌Baker’s‌‌administration‌‌plans‌‌to‌‌build‌‌a‌‌new‌‌women’s‌ prison‌‌or‌‌substantially‌‌renovate‌‌an‌‌unused‌‌men’s‌‌prison‌‌at‌‌an‌‌estimated‌‌cost‌‌of‌‌$50,000,000.‌ That‌‌sum‌‌is‌‌in‌‌addition‌‌to‌‌the‌‌operating‌‌cost‌‌of‌‌$162,000‌‌per‌‌woman‌‌per‌‌year‌‌(Cannata‌‌et‌‌al.,‌‌ 2021).‌‌ ‌ In‌‌response,‌‌coalitions‌‌of‌‌community‌‌organizations,‌‌academics,‌‌social‌‌workers,‌‌and‌‌attorneys‌‌ argue‌‌that‌‌the‌‌time‌‌has‌‌come‌‌to‌‌end‌‌the‌‌punitive‌‌policies‌‌that‌‌gave‌‌rise‌‌to‌‌mass‌‌incarceration;‌‌that‌‌ $50,000,000‌‌could‌‌be‌‌put‌‌to‌‌better‌‌use‌‌supporting‌‌housing,‌‌families,‌‌education,‌‌parks,‌‌local‌‌ businesses‌‌and‌‌services‌‌that‌‌build‌‌up‌‌people,‌‌not‌‌prisons‌‌(Building‌‌Up‌‌People‌‌Not‌‌Prisons,‌‌n.d.).‌‌ ‌ The‌‌population‌‌of‌‌women‌‌incarcerated‌‌for‌‌crimes‌‌labeled‌‌as‌‌violent‌‌has‌‌emerged‌‌as‌‌a‌‌sticking‌‌ point‌‌in‌‌efforts‌‌to‌‌balance‌‌concerns‌‌for‌‌public‌‌safety‌‌with‌‌the‌‌rights‌‌and‌‌well-being‌‌of‌‌women‌‌ and‌‌communities‌‌most‌‌impacted‌‌by‌‌pro-incarceration‌‌policies‌‌of‌‌the‌‌late‌‌20th‌‌and‌‌21st‌‌centuries.‌‌ ‌ To‌‌help‌‌ground‌‌these‌‌concerns‌‌in‌‌research,‌‌this‌‌briefing‌‌presents‌‌an‌‌overview‌‌of‌‌the‌‌scholarly‌‌ literature‌‌on‌‌women,‌‌violence,‌‌and‌‌crime.‌‌That‌‌literature‌‌is‌‌illustrated‌‌through‌‌the‌‌stories‌‌of‌‌real‌‌ women‌‌who‌‌have‌‌been‌‌incarcerated‌‌for‌‌crimes‌‌classified‌‌as‌‌violent‌‌in‌‌Massachusetts.‌ ‌ ‌ T ‌ his‌‌briefing‌‌was‌‌written‌‌by‌‌Rebecca‌‌Stone,‌‌Susan‌‌Sered,‌‌Amanda‌‌Wilhoit,‌‌and‌‌Cherry‌‌Russell‌‌together‌‌with‌‌ members‌‌of‌‌the‌W ‌ omen‌‌and‌‌Incarceration‌‌Project‌‌‌at‌‌Suffolk‌‌University.‌‌ …

The Paid Jailer - How Sheriff Campaign Dollars Shape Mass Incarceration ,l \,'1 f i ~I ,(' J-' t ~l~,\ -, :i., ,~ ~;~ ~ :,'JI h· t I . f) , y ' ·t, -,·'"<','I' Ii'·. I t .... I '' { l ' :i~.l t'I t..,,i.'J J,'l I …

Lifer's Group, MA, How the Massachusetts DOC Caused COVID-19 to Ravage State Prisons, 2021 WITHOUT A RATIONAL PLAN: How and Why the Massachusetts DOC Caused Covid-19 To Ravage State Prisons A Lifers' Group Reoort • I Prepared by Dirk Greineder, MD, PhD February 2021 Lifers' Group Inc. MCI-Norfolk P.O. :Rox …

Massachusetts Dept of Corrections, MA, Exploring Alternatives to Restrictive Housing, 2021 Elevating the System: Exploring Alternatives to Restrictive Housing Restrictive Housing Systems Study, Program Validation and Best Practice Recommendations Submitted March 2021 Independent Report Commissioned by the Massachusetts Department of Corrections (MADOC) CONTENTS 3 4 7 9 11 14 20 …

Ayala v. Dunne, MA, Order on Report and Recommendations, Excessive Force, 2021 Case 4:20-cv-40127-TSH Document 25 Filed 05/25/21 Page 1 of 3 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS ________________________________________________ ) ) ) ) v. ) ) MATTHEW DUNNE, RYAN N. SCEVIOUR, and ) the COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS, ) Defendants. …

Massachusetts Uses Medical Parole to Avoid In-Custody Deaths From COVID-19 by Daniel A. Rosen by Daniel A. Rosen Joseph Messere, a 68-year-old prisoner in Massachusetts, was just days away from death in December 2020 when his attorney got a phone call from state officials. The Parole Board and state Department …

Report: Massachusetts Prisons Continue to Fail on Mental Health Care by Jayson Hawkins by Jayson Hawkins A two-year federal investigation into the Massachusetts Department of Corrections (MDOC) found that prisoners&rsquo; constitutional rights had been violated in regard to mental health care. Investigators cited hundreds of instances of MDOC employees failing …

Jail Suicides in Massachusetts Point to National Crisis: Challenging Legislatures to Say Not One More by Jennifer Honig by Jennifer Honig Prisoners in the U.S. face stress and conditions that heighten their risk of suicide compared to the general population. Putting aside the question of whether a person might have …

Massachusetts Governor Ends Good Time Offer for Prisoners Taking COVID-19 Vaccine by David Reutter by David M. Reutter Massachusetts is one of just a few states to offer the COVID-19 vaccine to prisoners. The governor&rsquo;s office, however, put an end to prison officials offering &lsquo;&lsquo;good time&rsquo;&rsquo; to prisoners who elect …

News in Brief by Arizona: In January 2021, two women who worked at an Arizona state prison operated by Florida-based GEO Group pleaded guilty to having sex with inmates there. Melony Petrovffsky, 50, ran the commissary for the private contractor at a prison in Golden Valley, where she was allegedly …

Cofield v. McDonald, MA, Petition for Declaratory and Injuctive Relief, Immigration Detention, 2020 COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSSETTS SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT Suffolk, ss. SJ No. 2020-______ JUAN COFIELD ET AL., Petitioners, v. JOSEPH MCDONALD JR., Plymouth County Sheriff, in his official capacity, and PLYMOUTH COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE, Respondents. PETITION FOR DECLARATORY AND …

News in Brief by Alabama: Chanting &ldquo;not one more,&rdquo; about 30 carloads of protesters from &ldquo;Alabamians Who Care&rdquo; caravanned to the governor&rsquo;s mansion in Montgomery on August 1, 2020, protesting a plan by Gov. Kay Ivey (R) to build three new &ldquo;mega-prisons.&rdquo; According to a report by Montgomery TV station …

Researchers, Prison Officials to Study Effects of Prison Violence Comprehensively by Matthew Clarke by Matt Clarke A research team of internationally recognized prison experts from multiple academic institutions will be working with state prison officials from Arizona, Colorado, Massachusetts, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Texas to perform the most comprehensive study …