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. […]
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 […]
New bill proposes civilian oversight for Massachusetts prisons
Senator James Eldridge calls for independent oversight to help reform the agency, currently facing two federal lawsuits alleging misconduct The Boston GlobeJanuary 11, 2022By Mark Arsenault Amid two federal lawsuits alleging excessive force by Massachusetts prison officials, a leading critic of the Department of Correction has filed a bill to establish independent civilian oversight of […]
Federal lawsuit alleges more than 100 prisoners were beat, attacked at Souza prison
WBURJanuary 11, 2022By Deb Becker There is continued fallout from a lockdown at the state’s maximum security prison two years ago. A federal class action lawsuit, filed by advocacy group Prisoners Legal Services (PLS) of Massachusetts, accuses state correction officials of violently retaliating against prisoners at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley after an assault on a […]
Lessons from ‘The taking of Cell 15’: Reform corrections
Lessons from ‘The taking of Cell 15’: Reform corrections August 22, 2021The Boston GlobeBy The Editorial Board The story of “The taking of Cell 15″ at Souza-Baranowski, the state’s maximum security prison, isn’t just about its two occupants on that January day, it’s about a prison system that prefers gag orders to transparency, where those […]
Prison Brutality at Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center
Prison Brutality at Souza-Baranowski Correctional CenterStatement of Prisoners’ Legal Services For immediate release: August 18, 2021 Prisoners Legal Services (PLS) appreciates the Globe Spotlight team’s reporting of the systemic assaults that occurred at SBCC in January of 2020 — over a year and a half ago. We also deeply appreciate statements made by legislators and […]
The Taking of Cell 15
The Taking of Cell 15 A look at secrecy, assaults, and accountability inside Massachusetts’ maximum security prison The Boston GlobeAugust 14, 2021This story was reported by Mark Arsenault, Matt Rocheleau, and Spotlight editor Patricia Wen. It was written by Arsenault. The five-member Department of Correction tactical team strode purposefully down the P2 cellblock of the […]
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 […]