Walpole will stop housing prisoners in 2024 Commonwealth MagazineBy Shira SchoenbergApril 8, 2022 THE MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT of Correction on Thursday made a surprising announcement: MCI-Cedar Junction in Walpole will stop housing prisoners over the next two years. The reason the department gave was declining numbers of inmates and increasing costs. Or, in DOC-speak, “a thorough assessment of […]
MCI Cedar Junction to close, a milestone reflecting falling crime rates, sentencing reform
The Boston GlobeBy Laura Crimaldi and Travis AndersenApril 7, 2022 With the state’s inmate population at a 35-year low, state officials on Thursday announced plans to shut down the maximum-security prison in Walpole over the next two years, citing the high cost of repairing the facility and a statewide effort to phase out solitary confinement. […]
2 Mass. prisons mishandled COVID and neglected prisoners, report by disability advocates claims
WBURBy Deborah BeckerMarch 28, 2022 Some Massachusetts prisons fell short in handling the coronavirus pandemic and neglected disabled and medically vulnerable prisoners, according to an investigation by the Disability Law Center. A new Disability Law Center (DLC) report released Monday examined coronavirus mitigation efforts within specialized medical units at MCI-Norfolk and MCI-Shirley. Among the more serious findings […]
Souza-Baranowski prison to introduce officer-worn body cameras
Pilot program aims to improve safety, transparency Commonwealth MagazineBy Shira SchoenbergJanuary 27, 2022 SOME CORRECTION OFFICERS at Souza-Baranowski prison will begin wearing body cameras this summer, under a new pilot program being launched by the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security. The maximum-security state prison has come under increasing scrutiny amid allegations of brutality by prison guards. “Implementing this […]
Corrections officers at Souza-Baranowski to get body cameras for the first time
The change comes as leaders at the Department of Correction face two federal lawsuits alleging excessive force against prisoners. The Boston GlobeBy Mark ArsenaultJanuary 27, 2022 Officers at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center will be equipped with body-mounted cameras for the first time as soon as this summer, in a $1 million pilot program announced Thursday […]
Prison guards to wear body cameras at Souza
WBURBy Deb BeckerJanuary 27, 2022 Correction officers at Massachusetts’ beleaguered maximum security prison will soon wear body cameras. The state Executive Office of Public Safety and Security announced the pilot program Thursday, saying the cameras will strengthen transparency and accountability at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center. “Implementing this BWC (body-worn camera) pilot program reinforces our commitment […]
‘Rubber stamp’ justice? In Mass., prison officials almost always deny prisoners’ claims of abuse behind bars
For state prisoners, advocates say, “there’s no one to call.” The Boston GlobeDecember 29, 2021By Melissa Ellin, Jake Neenan, and Allison Pirog Every year, Massachusetts prisoners file hundreds of grievances alleging all manner of mistreatment behind bars, from excessive force to racism to harassment — all at the hands of prison employees. And year after […]
Outcry over conditions at Plymouth County Correctional Facility
community groups call for ICE detainees’ release The Scope BostonBy Marigo FarrDecember 16, 2021 Four immigrant justice organizations have detailed how immigrant detainees at the Plymouth County Correctional Facility face “patterns of mistreatment” — including lack of appropriate and timely medical services, physical abuse, discriminatory language, retaliation against individuals who voice grievances and barriers to […]
Correction Department cries out for oversight
With officer brutality and discipline shrouded in secrecy, the need for an independent eye is obvious. The Boston GlobeBy the Editorial BoardDecember 1, 2021 When brutality happens not on a city street but behind prison walls, there’s no citizen with a cellphone to record the abuse of authority, and often no bystander to bear witness […]
Department of Correction finally hires ombudsman
Department of Correction finally hires ombudsman Advocates criticize selection of UMass Medical School September 9, 2021Commonwealth MagazineBy Shira Schoenberg AFTER A DELAY of several months, the Department of Correction has entered into a contract with the University of Massachusetts Medical School to create an ombudsman’s office within the department. But critics – including prisoners’ rights advocates and […]