MIDDLESEX COUNTY PRISON COORDINATING COMMITTEE NEWSLETTER

Next Meeting: Jan. 9, 2008

MCPCC met in West Newton on Dec, 12, 2007. David Berkley, Tom Crowther, Mary Ann Donaldson, Marjorie Moerschner, Lynn Sullivan, Carol Winton and Elizabeth Woodbridge were present, and Mary Ann introduced our guest speaker, Dan Lee.

Dan has been the librarian at the Billerica House of Correction for over two years, but he has been on the Billerica staff for 17 years, first in classification and then as a case worker. He tries to make the library as much like a real library as possible. Inmates can check out paperbacks and take them back to their cells, with unwritten rules about the number that can be checked out at a time. An inmate clerk checks out the books. The paperbacks are both fiction and non-fiction, and inmates like to read what most people like to read. Stuart Woods is very popular now; not long ago it was James Patterson. Harry Potter is big too, though some inmates are a little embarrassed to be seen checking out a kid's book. Since the prison has to wait until books come out in paperback, there is a time lag from the current best-seller list. Paperbacks wear out quickly; even new ones last only through a few readings.

The library has the obligatory law books for inmates' use. There are some hard-cover law books there, but most are now computerized and accessible in the library, together with an online legal search engine which some inmates are very good at using. When an inmate finds what he is looking for he can download it, but all documents leaving the library must be approved. The library has other reference books such as encyclopedias, some computerized, some in book form. Hard-cover books do not leave the library.

The library subscribes to a number of newspapers and magazines, in English, Spanish and other languages. The National Geographic is popular and doesn't go out of date.

The main library is in the old building, but there are 7 mini all-purpose libraries in the pods, also with newspapers and magazines, and run by inmate clerks. Dan gets around to all of them frequently. Billerica subscribes to the interlibrary loan service and if an inmate requests a specific book, Dan will try to get it for him. Sometimes this presents problems. The prison has a fairly large Vietnamese population- Dan has gone to the Lowell Public Library for Vietnamese books and can take out 10 at a time from there. He also found books in Hindi for one inmate.

Sometimes an inmate mentions that he doesn't read well. Dan refers him to the Education Dept, which may get him into a GED program. Some are not ready even for that. A woman now works with non-literate inmates under a grant.

The library has no budget, but when Dan really needs something he asks for it and "hasn't been turned down yet". He is also very glad to have donations of fiction and non-fiction paperbacks in reasonably good condition. Multiple copies of popular books are fine. He can use some hard-cover reference books too. Church yard sales and town library sales are good sources. MCPCC has collected books for Billerica over the years.

The Cambridge Jail will be closing soon and most of the men will be housed at Billerica, the rest scattered here and there.

The library is a popular and busy place. Many inmates have discovered books and acquired a reading habit. It's to be hoped that will continue on the outside. Dan is doing everything to encourage it! Many thanks to Dan Lee for coming to talk about the Billerica HOC library! Good things are happening there.

A short business meeting followed.

Tom gave the treasurer's report, and also reported that he had taken 2161 donated Christmas cards to Rev. Milton Thomas to be given to the men to send. Included were cards purchased with a generous donation from Henry Hammond, which was very much appreciated. Thanks to all! The total number needed was 2600 in order for each man to have three cards. The balance needed would be given by other donors Rev. Thomas said.

We discussed the series of articles in the Boston Globe about recent suicides in state prisons. Prison personnel lack training in recognizing prisoners with mental health problems and in responding appropriately to people in difficulty. Several of the suicides took place when a mentally disturbed man was left in solitary without being checked for long periods of time.

House Bill 1313, sponsored by Rep. Ruth Balser of Newton would prevent solitary confinement for the mentally ill.

Lee Gartenberg will be our guest speaker at our next meeting. All are welcome!

NEXT MEETING: JAN. 9, 2008 at 7PM SECOND CHURCH IN NEWTON

60 HIGHLAND STREET, WEST NEWTON