The Boston Globe March 14th, 2019 By Felice J. Freyer Ten men who have been ordered into treatment for addiction filed suit Thursday against several state agencies, alleging that they are unlawfully being held in a prison instead of a treatment facility. The plaintiffs are among the roughly 3,000 men each year who have not […]
Group Of Civilly Committed Men Sues Mass. Alleging Gender Discrimination In ‘Section 35’ Law
WBUR March 14th, 2019 By Deborah Becker A group of men is suing the state of Massachusetts over the law, known as “Section 35,” that allowed a judge to involuntarily commit each of them to addiction treatment. The lawsuit filed by 10 men civilly committed to the Massachusetts Alcohol and Substance Abuse Center (MASAC), a minimum security prison in Plymouth, alleges […]
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 […]