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CJPC’s Spring Newsletter on Evidence Based Practices in Criminal Justice
| Today an enormous body of sophisticated research proving that unlike incarceration, which actually increases offender recidivism, properly designed and operated recidivism reduction programs can significantly reduce offender recidivism. Such programs are more effective, and more cost-effective, than incarceration in reducing crime rates. In light of such evidence, the CJPC has devoted this newsletter to the further elucidation of Evidence Based Practices in Criminal Justice reform. The newsletter’s perspective is particularly from those that have experienced the Massachusetts criminal justice system from the inside and therefore, have special insight to provide. Click here to read the CJPC newsletter. |
Al Jazeera, the Mass. DOC and Freedom of the Press
| CJPC gets requests for information and cooperation on a daily basis, and recently Al Jazeera, the independent Arabic new service, called. One of their producers wanted to do a television report in English on the increasing number of aged prisoners in United States jails. He somehow was aware that CJPC was advocating the compassionate release of prisoners who are so old or infirm as to be no risk to anyone. The producer, Jeremy Young, wanted to interview members of the Norfolk Lifer's Group on camera. Despite all of the contacts that CJPC has, the Mass. Department of Correction was adamant that no camera crews or interviews would be allowed. Al Jazeera was granted access to elderly and disabled inmates in prisons in Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and New York. This report includes direct interviews with the Commissioner of Corrections for Oklahoma. You can judge the quality of the report for yourself by clicking here or on the image above to view it on YouTube. Governor Patrick, Executive Secretary of Public Safety Heffernan, Undersecretary of Public Safety McCroom, or Commissioner of Correction Clarke could, anyone of them, change the DOC's policy of media exclusion with the stroke of a pen. The Massachusetts DOC should end its policy of blocking all direct media access to prisons and prisoners. |
House Passes a CORI Reform Bill
| The Massachusetts House of Representatives passed its own version of CORI reform legislation on May 26, 2010. For the full text of this new version of CORI reform, which has been published as House Bill 4712 click here. There are major differences between House Bill 4712 and the Senate’s version of CORI reform, Senate Bill 2220, so the differences will have to be resolved by a conference committee, and then both branches of the legislature will have to approve the conference bill. What was particularly striking was that House version passed by 139 to 17. To see the roll call of the vote on the House version of CORI reform, which technically was a vote on an amendment of the Senate version, click here. |
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