In October, Governor Charlie Baker nominated Colette Santa to fill the vacant seat on the Parole Board. The seat has been open since Ina Howard Hogan became a judge in August, 2016. While Santa, chief of transitional services for the Parole Board, has “two decades of experience in Corrections,”  the Coalition for Effective Public Safety (CEPS) has long advocated for more diversity of experience on the Board.

 Action Needed Now
On Wednesday, December 6, supporters of Colette Santa testified before the Governor’s Council who must approve the Governor’s nomination in order for Santa to be appointed. I testiified against her nomination. Below is my complete testimony which emphasizes why we must speak out for a Board that strives for diversity of training and experience so that the Board is able to more appropriately assess the candidates who come before them, and thus improve our paroling rates, and add to public safety,  

Here is what you can say to your councillor:

Our present Parole Board has five members who have worked in law enforcement, parole, as attorneys, or in corrections, with only one member, Dr. Charlene Bonner, having both experience and training in psychology.  We have no Parole Board members with experience and training in psychiatry, sociology or social work. I oppose Santa’s nomination precisely because in order to fairly judge the potential parolees who come before them, the Board needs more balance in their training and experience. Without more addiction and mental illness specialists, the Parole Board suffers in both scrutinizing and understanding those who come before them. 

Call Before Wednesday, December 13, when the Governor’s Council will vote on Santa’s nomination.

_________________________

Find your Governor’s Councillor here https://www.mass.gov/service-details/councillors

Find your district here http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/eledist/counc11idx.htm

________________________________

Jean Trounstine’s Testimony.ColletteSanta (1)