Patriot Ledger
March 17th, 2019
By Joe DiFazio
PLYMOUTH — Ten men who say they were involuntarily committed to a Plymouth prison instead of a drug and alcohol treatment facility are suing several state agencies and officials, claiming their rights were violated.
The men, housed deep within Myles Standish State Forest in a facility called the Massachusetts Alcohol and Substance Abuse Center, allege widespread mistreatment, “appalling conditions” and inadequate treatment.
The lawsuit was brought by the Prisoners’ Legal Services, a nonprofit that provides legal help for the incarcerated, and filed in Suffolk Superior Court. In a statement Sunday, James Pingeon, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs, said the state should not punish the committed.