Coalition Demands End to Obstruction of Required Appointment of Independent Public Health Expert to Oversee State Prison System

Coalition Demands End to Obstruction of Required Appointment of Independent Public Health Expert to Oversee State Prison System STATEMENT OF BLACK AND PINK MASSACHUSETTS, BUILDING UP PEOPLE NOT PRISONS COALITION, CHARLES HAMILTON HOUSTON INSTITUTE FOR RACE AND JUSTICE AT HARVARD LAW SCHOOL, FAMILIES FOR JUSTICE AS HEALING, AND PRISONERS’ LEGAL SERVICES OF MASSACHUSETTS FOR IMMEDIATE […]

Health Experts, Medical Providers Urge Health-Centered Approach to Boston’s Addiction Crisis

Health Experts, Medical Providers Urge Health-Centered Approach to Boston’s Addiction Crisis For immediate release: October 6, 2021 (BOSTON) In a letter sent today to public officials and Boston mayoral candidates, public health experts and medical providers urged public officials to take a health-centered approach to the growing humanitarian crisis in the area of Massachusetts Avenue […]

Some advocates and experts push back against sheriff’s Mass. and Cass proposal

SOME ADVOCATES AND EXPERTS PUSH BACK AGAINST SHERIFF’S MASS. AND CASS PROPOSAL The Boston GlobeSeptember 27, 2021By Danny McDonald Some civil rights advocates and public health experts are calling the Suffolk sheriff’s proposal to use one of his buildings as a treatment center to alleviate the suffering in Boston’s Mass. and Cass area deeply misguided […]

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 […]