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 …

Former Transgender Prisoner Fights for LGBTQ Rights in Massachusetts Prisons by Kevin Bliss by Kevin Bliss Angelina Resto filed suit against the Massachusetts Department of Corrections (DOC) in 2017, claiming discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act. She won her case in 2018 and was the first transgender prisoner in …

Miller et al. v. County of Sutter et al., CA, order, wrongful death, 2020 Case 2:20-cv-00577-KJM-DMC Document 67 Filed 11/02/20 Page 1 of 36 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA Estate of LINDA MILLER, et al., Plaintiffs, No. 2:20-cv-00577-KJM-DMC ORDER v. COUNTY OF SUTTER, et al., …

Massachusetts Jail Phone Cost Reductions Under Attack by Edward Lyon by Ed Lyon At least two Massachusetts sheriffs offer rehabilitative programs to prisoners in their jails. Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi&rsquo;s jail holds anger management, domestic violence classes and employment seminars while providing bus service to and from the jail …

Civic Responses to Police Violence - Harvard University 2020 Civic Responses to Police Violence∗ Desmond Ang† Harvard University Jonathan Tebes‡ Harvard University October 29, 2020 Abstract Roughly a thousand people are killed by American law enforcement officers each year, accounting for more than 5% of all homicides. We estimate the …

Prison Postcards: “I feel as though I was either in a car accident or beaten by a baseball bat.” by Ken Silverstein by Ken Silverstein We&rsquo;re now nearly six months into the COVID-19 pandemic and geographically the coronavirus epicenter has shifted from its origins in the United States in New …

COVID-19 Causes Public Defenders to Change How They Handle Cases by Dale Chappell by Dale Chappell "Our work has changed. It&rsquo;s shifted.&rdquo; That statement was made by Jessica McArdle, a public defender in Springfield, Massachusetts, who says she and her co-workers have had to get creative in representing clients during …