MIDDLESEX COUNTY PRISON COORDINATING COMMITTEE

MCPCC met on February 11, 2004. Present were Beverly Wilkins,

Tom Crowther, Judy Lustig, Bill Bergquist, Dorothy Weitzman and

Marjorie Moerschner.

First, the secretary wishes to correct and to apologize for a

serious misprint in the last newsletter, The Correction

Officers now receive eighteen weeks of training, not eight as the

newsletter said. Sheriff DiPaola instituted this much longer and

more comprehensive training and it is an achievement in which he

should take great pride. Graduates are not only very well-

trained, they have proven themselves to be responsible and

emotionally mature people. The whole community benefits from

that.

Business Meeting

Tom gave the treasurer's report. We have received generous

donations from Edwards Church in Framingham, from Art Judge and

from Barbara MacKay. Heartfelt thanks to all of the above!

We plan to sponsor another prison writing contest at a time

convenient for Linda Justice.

Dorothy drew our attention to the MA Campaign to Build Safer

Communities. This group would like to eliminate the use of

Disciplinary Detention Units (DDUs) in prisons. Their literature

includes an article entitled "A brief History of MA Prison

Policies" which shows the enormous increase in the prison

population since 1955, and the increasingly extreme methods, such

as the DDUs, devised to manage this population.

The Mission Society of the Episcopal Diocese recently held a

workshop on over incarceration among other things.

Beverly said that the Unitarian Association has chosen criminal

justice as a study theme for the year. Each church is encouraged

to consider it.

Program

Our guest, a friend of one of our members, was a woman whose son

has been involved with the Middlesex County prison system,

including incarceration in Billerica, over a period of years.

This was a bright young man who had graduated from high school

without problems and gone off to college where he was offered

heroin and very quickly became addicted. He committed a robbery,

landed in the Cambridge Jail and was sentenced to six months of

residential rehab at Westborough State Hospital. He completed the

term- many do not- but later relapsed. Further treatment and

further problems occurred. A while ago he spent 10 months in

Billerica, part of the time in the Cornerstone drug treatment

program in the modular units. Cornerstone is based on A.A. and

it doesn't work for everyone. Her son did better with Smart

Recovery, an alternative program which the prison also offers.

He also spent time behind the wall at Billerica, and some

time in the hole.

The mother described her experiences visiting her son at

Billerica. The waiting area was cold and bleak and the experience

in general grim and intimidating. She made friends with other

women that she saw regularly there and they formed a sort of

support group, In the mode, which we understand are now gone,

visits took place in the cafeteria, with a Plexiglas barrier

separating visitors from inmates. Visitors sat on high stools on

one side of the glass. She spoke of the lack of dignity for

parent and inmate in this process.

(We would like to think that when the new prison is finished

there will be better waiting and visiting facilities for families.)

The mother has done everything, tried every program she

could to help her only son over the years, even, when there

seemed no other option, leaving him to his own devices.

Fortunately, her church has been very supportive throughout.

She thinks the prison experience probably helped her son to focus.

Right now he is doing quite well.

We thank this courageous woman for being willing to share her story

with us.

Attorney Lee Gartenburg will be with us in April.

NEXT MEETING: MARCH 10 at 7 PM.

SECOND CHURCH in NEWTON 60 HIGHLAND STREET, WEST NEWTON