From Boston University Online Masters in Criminal Justice

Massachusetts has been dreadful in terms of how many people it gives a second chance to. In the past two years Deval Patrick's "parole folly" has meant revamping the board and replacing members after a knee jerk reaction to a parolee's crime; a refusal to stop stacking the board with members who are heavily law and order oriented rather than seriously involved with treatment. Most recently I wrote how the refusal to change parole board direction has resulted in less public safety and more expense in "Locked Up and Nowhere to Go."

Now a host of activists groups have signed on to a letter to Governor Patrick suggesting that the next member of the board should be someone who has the trainig and expertise to deal with the enormity of the drug and alcohol affictions of people who get involved in crime. WILL THE GOVERNOR RESPOND? Here is the letter and the organizations which have signed on so far. The letter was written by the Steering Committee of the Coalition for Effective Public Safety (CEPS).                                                                                                                      

"We are members of a coalition of individuals, agencies, and associations of Massachusetts residents that advocate for fairness in criminal justice proceedings, corrections and parole.  We are writing to advocate for the fairest possible process in filling the current Parole Board vacancy with an individual who is both committed to the objectives of parole and who has a background in substance misuse and alcohol addiction.

We understand that the statute governing appointments to the Parole Board, M.G.L. c.27, sec. 4, calls for persons to be appointed to the Board who have had at least five years of education and experience in either “parole, probation, corrections, law, law enforcement, psychology, psychiatry, sociology [or] social work.”  We are asking you to nominate a candidate who has had at least five years of experience in treating drug addiction and alcoholism. 

According to the Department of Correction, approximately 80% of the persons incarcerated in Massachusetts state prisons have issues with substance addiction.[1]/  Sheriffs estimate that the same figure is true for the house of correction population.[2]/  The vast majority of criminal behavior in the State is influenced by or somehow involves substance misuse. 

It is clear that the Commonwealth would be best served by having Parole Board members who are versed in the issues that face those in our prisons. When prisoners appear at their parole hearings, there are three areas on which the Board generally focuses in determining readiness for parole:  the prisoner’s understanding of the causal factors of the crime; what the prisoner has done during his or her incarceration to address or treat the causal factors; and what resources or supports the prisoner will need in the community to succeed.  Accordingly, in approximately 80% of the cases the Parole Board hears, expertise in substance misuse is necessary in making an informed and sensible decision. Our Parole Board, however, does not appear to have any  members who have  treated or worked in a professional capacity with persons suffering from drug addiction or alcoholism.  At present there are two former prosecutors on the Board (Chairman Josh Wall and Ina Howard-Hogan), one former defense attorney (Tonomey Coleman),  one former corrections administrator (Sheila Dupre), one former victim advocate (Lucy Soto-Abbe) and one former court clinician (psychologist Charlene Bonner).  Although Ms. Soto-Abbe has a degree in forensic psychology and may have studied substance misuse, it does not appear that she has experience in diagnosing, treating, or working with this population.  She worked in the Hampden District Attorney’s Office as a victim/witness advocate since graduating college until the time of her appointment to the Board.  Similarly, Dr. Bonner worked primarily as a court clinician and did not treat persons suffering from addiction to substances in her work as a psychologist.

An expert on substance misuse on the Board would not only contribute to more probative parole hearings, but such a Board member would be an invaluable asset in designing optimal  parole plans.  For example, when a person who is doing well on parole tests positive for alcohol or drug use, studies of evidence–based practices unequivocally state that for such technical violations the person should be treated in the community, not returned to prison.  In Massachusetts, however, the Board frequently returns such persons to prison.           

In addition, it is our understanding that a new qualification of five years of experience in business or public administration is being required to fill this particular vacancy. Such a requirement seems unnecessary and could well be a barrier to attracting qualified candidates for the position. We ask that well-qualified candidates not be excluded simply because they lack this experience and that the Governor’s office re-post for the position removing the requirement.  We also understand that resumes for the vacancy are being directed to Chairman Wall for initial review rather than to the Governor’s office. Such a practice raises questions about the impartiality of the process and runs the risk of inadequately considering the objective needs of the Parole Board.  We urge the Governor’s office to review all applicants’ resumes and to lead the hiring process. Finally, we ask the Governor’s office to ensure that the process of filling the vacancy is impartial and results in a candidate who can add a new and much needed dimension of expertise to the Board. 

Thank you for your consideration

Mass. Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
321 Walnut St. Box 473
Newton, MA 02460
Elizabeth A. Lunt, President
macdlweb@gmail.com

Prisoners’ Legal Services
10 Winthrop Sq. 3^rd Floor
Boston, MA 02110
Leslie Walker, Executive Director
617-482-2773
lwalker@plsma.org

Families Against Mandatory Minimums, Massachusetts Office
P.O. Box 54
Arlington, MA 02476
Barb Dougan, Project Director
617-543-0878
bdougan@famm.org

SPAN Inc.
105 Chauncy St. 6^th Floor
Boston, MA 02111
Lyn Levy, Executive Director
617-423-0750
info@spaninc.org

Coalition for Effective Public Safety, CEPS
P.O Box 961401
Boston, MA 02196
508-254-2131

EPOCA, Ex-Prisoners and Prisoners Organizing for Community Advancement
5 Pleasant St.
Worcester, MA 01609
Steve O’Neil, Executive Director of Inter-State Organizing
508-410-7676

Real Cost of Prisons Project
5 Warfield Place
Northampton, MA 01060
Lois Ahrens, Director
info@realcostofprisons.org

Association for Behavioral Health
251 West Central St. Suite 21
Natick, MA 01760
Vic DiGravio, President/CEO
508-647-8385
vdigravio@ABHmass.org                                                                              

Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery
29 Winter St. 2^nd Floor
Boston, MA 02108
Maryanne Frangules, Executive Director
617-423-6627
maryanne@moar-recovery.org

Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee
24 School St. 8^th Floor
Boston, MA 02108
Phil Kassel, Executive Director
617-338-2345
MHLAC@mhlac.org

Criminal Justice Policy Coalition
15 Barbara St.
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Andrew Zarro, Executive Director
617-807-0111

Massachusetts Law Reform Institute
99 Chauncy St. Suite 500
Boston, MA 02111
Georgia Katsoulomitis, Executive Director
617-357-0700

Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice, Harvard Law School
1557 Mass Ave. Lewis Hall
Cambridge, MA 02138
Charles J. Ogletree Jr., Founding and Executive Director
617-495-8285
houstoninst@law.harvard.edu