MIDDLESEX COUNTY PRISON COORDINATING COMMITTEE NEWSLETTER

MCPCC met on April 9, 2003, in West Newton. Tom Crowther, Mary Ann Donaldson, Marjorie Moerschner and Beverly Wilkins were present. Mary Ann Donaldson opened the meeting with a prayer.

We send our best wishes to Elizabeth Woodbridge whose scheduled knee surgery has been delayed by some health problems.

Tom and Beverly are going to meet with the outreach committee at the United Methodist Church in Newtonville on April 20. The outreach committee is interested in getting involved in prison

ministry in some way.

Treasurer's report.

Tom will send out letters to our supporters as we do annually.

Tom also reported that The First Church of Christ, Congregational, in Bedford and the Bedford Unitarian Church had sent many boxes of paperback books to the prison library.

Also, the First Church of Christ, Congregational, recently held a Bible Study meeting at the prison. Every one was pleased with the way it went.

Beverly, Mary Ann and Marjorie will attend a Criminal Justice Policy Coalition dinner meeting in Roxbury on April 30. State Rep. Kay Kahn has submitted six bills relating to prisons to the legislature. One of them would create a Citizens Advisory Board to work with the correctional system, and there will be information and discussion about this important bill, among other

things.

We have received generous donations from Priscilla Damon and Barbara Lindberg. These are much appreciated!

We hope to have George Gallitano as a our guest speaker in June.

Our next: meeting will be on Tuesday, May 20, so that the two women who are leading the Houses of Healing group at Billerica will be able to come and give us an update.

NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, MAY 20, 2003

SECOND CHURCH, UCC, 60 HIGHLAND STREET, WEST NEWTON