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 […]

Staffing shortages are hurting sick prisoners at Norfolk prison, advocates claim

GBHBy Sarah BetancourtJanuary 26, 2022 Attorneys and advocates for patients at a state prison’s critical stabilization unit, which houses prisoners who are sick or ailing, say they’re worried about the impact of low staffing levels on their clients. Prisoners and advocates report a nursing shortage and lack of a permanent medical director are affecting operations […]

Mass. trial courts to decrease jurors in pool, prioritize certain cases amid COVID-19 surge

GBHDecember 30, 2021By Sarah Betancourt Amid surging coronavirus rates, Massachusetts’ trial court system will make changes to which cases it hears, and how many jurors it calls up in January. The silver lining to some is that the trial system’s move to prioritize cases where people are already incarcerated could expedite their potential freedom. Elizabeth […]

COVID-19 outbreak spreads to 53 at Dartmouth jail

Cases among inmates and staff jumped by 18 over weekend New Bedford lightNovember 15, 2021By Abigail Nehring DARTMOUTH — At least 47 people incarcerated at the regional jail on Faunce Corner in Dartmouth and six staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 in an outbreak that began Nov. 1. Cases among inmates and staff jumped […]

SJC urged to reduce prison population during COVID

SJC urged to reduce prison population during COVID DOC says 81% of inmates vaccinated; zero active cases September 10, 2021Commonwealth MagazineBy Shira Schoenberg THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION is not doing enough to prevent the spread of COVID-19 because it has failed to take meaningful steps to reduce its prison population, prisoners’ rights advocates are charging in […]

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 […]

Statement: MA Department of Correction Continues to Defy Legal Mandates for Independent Oversight Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic

MA Department of Correction Continues to Defy Legal Mandates for Independent Oversight Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic Statement of Black and Pink Massachusetts, Building Up People Not Prisons Coalition, Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice at Harvard Law School, and Prisoners’ Legal Services of Massachusetts  September 8, 2021 The Department of Correction (DOC) has defied […]

Mass. State Prisons See Uptick In COVID Cases

MASS. STATE PRISONS SEE UPTICK IN COVID CASES August 10, 2021GBHBy Jenifer McKim Thirty prisoners have active COVID-19 cases, most of them housed at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Lancaster, state officials said Tuesday. The data released by the Massachusetts Department of Correction marks a jump in the number of COVID-19 cases in the state’s […]