MIDDLESEX COUNTY PRISON COORDINATING COMMITTEE NEWSLETTER

Next Meeting June 11

MCPCC met on May 14, 2008 in West Newton,with Mary Ann Donaldson, Carol Winton, Tom Crowther, Bill Bergquist, Marjorie Moerschner and Elizabeth Woodbridge, present. Our guests were Cheryl Binder, interim Director of Education at the House of Correction, and Steven Ultrino, who is about to become the Director of Education there. Cheryl has been on the prison staff for a number of years. She was in classification at Billerica and was Director of Human Services at the Cambridge Jail. Stevan was a high school teacher in Cambridge and is looking forward to a different kind of educational experience.

We spoke about the art and writing contests we have sponsored at the prison in the past and the show of inmates art we held in Lowell in 2006. It's been a while since we had a writing contest though, and we'd like to have another. Cheryl gave us a proposed format which is just what we had in mind. There would be- three categories, poetry, short story and essay, with small monetary prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners in each category. The money would be put in the prison canteen for the winners to draw upon. Topics should be approved by a teacher beforehand. The entries should be submitted by Oct. 1. We are looking forward to reading the winners. There has been some very good writing in past contests.

Cheryl would like to have art teachers at the prison, When we've had art contests, prisoners have been pretty much on their own, and they are really limited to colored pencils and paper. A number of men do participate though, with a lot of creativity. Cheryl said that at the Hamden County HOC, an artist worked with inmates to create murals on the brick walls surrounding the exercise area.

The prison uses WRAT- wide range achievement test- to assess inmates education levels. English as a second language classes are given, but only on one level. At the moment there are not enough classrooms. The chow halls in the new building are not being used as such because, with the pod system, it has proved to be better to feed the men in the pods. The chow halls are now being renovated as classrooms, meeting rooms and a chapel, to be completed in September. Our old chapel is now out of the secure area so it cannot be used and the chaplains have to make do with whatever space is currently available, such as the old dining hall. Our chapel was very small but served its purpose at the time.

About 15% of the inmates are illiterate; 60% didn't graduate from high school. Of those, some have managed to get a GED elsewhere. The prison gives GED courses, and 24 men have just passed and received their certificates. Those who don't have a GED or high school diploma need to be motivated to get one.

Cheryl would like to see more advanced courses given, especially in the field of computers. At the moment 20 men are taking advanced courses in connection with Bunker Hill Community College. They study in the prison.

The culinary arts courses continue. We can vouch for them, since the first culinary arts graduates prepared the excellent refreshments at our art show. One of the GED teachers teaches a math course for the culinary arts students so that, among other things, they'll be able to translate recipes into larger or smaller amounts.

There are now 400 men in the Cambridge Jail which was designed for about half that number. Every inch of space is being used for beds.

Many thanks to Cheryl Binder and Steven Ultrino for meeting with us!

Our April 9 meeting was very brief, do to circumstances beyond our control, so no report was mailed out.

We continue to be hopeful that CORI Reform will go through, and to support Senate Bill 884, an Act Relating to Mandatory Minimum Sentences, and House Bill 1313, relating to Prisoners with Mental Illnesses.

NEXT MEETING (our annual business meeting): JUNE 11,2008 at 7 PM

SECOND CHURCH IN NEWTON 60 HIGHLAND STREET, WEST NEWTON