Subject: Annual Report 2007/2008

Middlesex County Prison Coordinating Committee

Annual Report September 2007 through June 2008

MCPCC wrapped up another successful year continuing to support the inmates and staff at the Billerica House of Correction and the Cambridge Jail. The following is a brief summary of the years activities.

Guest Speakers:

October 2007: Susan Rourke, Director Of Reintegration Services, Billerica House of Correction. Mark Hemmenway, Director, New England Prison Ministries.

Update of Sean McAdam, Human Services Director, Billerica HOC, vision for new programming is being implemented in the new facility. Six new case managers have been hired with grant funding bringing the total number of case managers to eleven, currently providing treatment services. Four assessment specialists now provide comprehensive assessment of needs for individual treatment plans. Treatment plans are periodically reviewed by a classification board. Established training programs continue to do well. (October 07 News letter). The HOC has also established a working collaboration with the Middlesex Parole Office to establish a more stable transition after incarceration. Two new vehicles have been purchased with grant funds to aid in this effort.

New England Prison Ministries now has eight mentors providing support to inmates. The list of requests for mentors at the time of this presentation exceeds the availability. Plans are currently in process to provide mentoring services to women from the Middlesex county being discharged from the Framingham Women's Prison. Mr. Hemmenway has great hope for more mentors to volunteer.

December 2007: Dan Lee, Librarian, Billerica HOC.

The main library is housed in the old building with seven mini libraries in each of the PODS. Subscriptions include magazines and newspapers in English, Spanish and other applicable languages. National Geographic is also available. The Hoc also subscribes to the Interlibrary Loan Service for specific requests. Lowell Public Library allows ten books per sign out. Dan has been able to provide books in Vietnamese and also in Hindi to inmates with this program. The library has a limited number of law books available, but most law books are now on line and a legal search engine is available for inmates to use. The library has no budget but the prison has provided all requests for materials. (Dec. 2007 Newsletter)

January 2008: Lee Gartenberg, Attorney, On site Legal Services, Billerica and Cambridge Jail. Middlesex County Massachusetts Correctional Services.

Our guest Attorney has two lawyers and one intern assisting with inmate's complex legal problems. Due to pretrial increase in population Cambridge jail (built for 200 inmate and housing 400) is over crowded. This is viewed as a public safety issue along with the asbestos problem in the existing facility. Attorney Gartenberg takes part in dangerousness hearings to determine who can be safely released to relieve overcrowding . A new facility is needed and will require temporary placement of inmates while the new building is under construction.

March 2008: Prevention and Management of Sexual Offenders. (March 2008 Newsletter)

Guest Speaker: "C"

"C" helped the group to better understand the complexities of the penal system and how it impacts persons and their families, prosecuted for sexual offenses, no matter the intensity of the crime.

May 2008: Cheryl Binder, Acting Director of Education, Billerica HOC and Steven Ultrino, Dir. of Education effective July 2008

Topic: Education System. The prison uses the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT) to assess inmate education levels to determine education needs. It is estimated that 15% of inmates are illiterate and 60% have not completed a high school education. GED classes are provided, however classroom space is limited. Renovations are presently being conducted in the former dining hall which will include classrooms, meeting rooms and a chapel. Renovations are expected to be completed by September 2008. (May Newsletter)

Legislative Reform Issues: The Committee continued to follow progress of CORI reform. (Feb. 2008 Newsletter) The Ruth Balser’s Bill 1313, Creation of Residential Treatment Units for Mentally III Inmates;

Senate Bill 884, Reform of Mandatory Sentencing; and House Bill 1912, Diversion of Low level Drug Offenders to Treatment.

Donations: MCPCC provided funding for clothing for Susan Rourke's Reintegration programming and to the New England Prison Ministries mentoring program

Future Planning: Writing Contest for Inmates at Billerica: Proposed format- Poetry, short story, and essay. Prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place will be awarded in each category.

Up coming speakers for 2008/2009 may include The Rev Milton Thomas, Chaplain, Billerica House of Correction; Tom Larkin, Leader of SMART Recovery program at Billerica and former County Commissioner; Diane Morad, Sheriff’s legislative liaison; Attorney Lee Gartenberg on current prison legal issues. Attorney Mark Rich speaking on Restorative Justice and Nancy Shippen, Director of Our Prison Neighbors, on her organization’s activities.

Facilitation of donations for paperback books and clothing is on going. Summer Break: July and August

Respectfully submitted,

Carol Langdon Winton, MCPCC Coordinator.