Budget amendments target funding for Section 35 programs in Hampden County The Berkshire EagleBy Chris Van Buskirk, State House News ServiceApril 20, 2022 BOSTON — Involuntary treatment programs at jails and prisons in Massachusetts for people with substance use or alcohol disorders can create “inhumane” settings and lead to relapses post-release. That was the message […]
The Jailing of Jesse Harvey
A drug war activist turned to civil commitment for help — and found a civil liberties nightmare. Type InvestigationsBy Jordan Michael SmithMarch 23, 2022 Jesse Harvey had one big idea left. Charismatic and outspoken, he was a graduate student of public policy at the University of Southern Maine and a prominent activist battling the drug […]
Forced addiction treatment could be death sentence during COVID-19
Jan 20, 2021
CommonWealth Magazine
By John Messinger and Leo Beletsky
The Repurposing of the American Jail
November 19, 2019
The Atlantic
Jessica Pishko
Advocates decry practice of jailing men for addiction treatment
The Boston Globe June 26th, 2019 By Felice J. Freyer A 31-year-old man named Jonathan stood up before a crowd in a State House lounge Wednesday and spoke about a horrific experience. In April, he said, his family abruptly decided that he needed treatment for his drinking. So they took advantage of a state law called […]
Judge troubled by allegations from civilly committed addicts
July 14, 2017 The Boston Globe By Maria Cramer A Suffolk Superior Court judge Friday said he was troubled that state officials had placed men civilly committed for drug treatment in a facility for sex offenders and called on the officials to find a quick alternative. “I don’t know why someone who is committed for the […]
Worse than jail: Addicts civilly committed say DOC abused them and failed to treat them
July 14, 2017 The Boston Globe By Maria Cramer Iraida Hernandez was desperate to find help for her son, a developmentally disabled 26-year-old long addicted to heroin. Regular treatment centers weren’t enough — he walked out almost as soon as he walked in. Finally, Hernandez told him she wanted him to enter a program that would […]