MIDDLESEX COUNTY PRISON COORDINATING COMMITTEE NEWSLETTER

Mary Ann Donaldson, Beverly Wilkins, Tom Crowther, Dorothy Weitzman, Bill Bergquist, Elizabeth Woodbridge and Marjorie Moerschner met in West Newton on Nov. 9, 2005.

Beverly reported that Sheriff DiPaola has appointed a new Director of Human Services. He is Sean McAdam, who used to work with former Director Jim Cain.

Tom gave the Treasurer's report, noting that our application for a grant from the Central Congregational Church Legacy Fund has been approved. We have received a check for $1500., which will be used to provide framing for our planned art exhibit of prisoner's work. Committee member Judy Lustig's husband has very kindly agreed to provide and cut the matting for the pictures for a nominal $50 and we greatly appreciate that!

We are still trying to find an appropriate venue for the exhibit. The Community Corrections Center in Lowell is a good possibility, if the Sheriff would approve. The New-Art Center in Newtonville is another possibility, especially as the Billerica HOC Community Work Project did some painting and renovation there. When to have the exhibit depends on when Lynda Justice will be able to schedule the art contest.

Mary Ann is now on the Mission and Justice Committee of the MA Conference of the United Church of Christ. Members of the committee include a lawyer, several pastors and someone who has had personal experience of prison life. The committee has several task forces, including one on restorative justice.

Mary Ann herself has recently come back from Mississippi where she interviewed people who had lost everything during Hurricane Katrina. The interviews were primarily aimed at determining the housing status of these people- whether they were living in a tent, in a shelter, on the street... the human misery caused by this storm goes on and on.

Dorothy reported that the Judiciary Committee of the state legislature is sponsoring a bill (#929) allowing those who've been sentenced under mandatory drug sentencing laws to apply for parole after they have served 2/3 of their sentences. Hearings will soon be held on this bill. Rep. Cynthia Creem sponsored a similar bill a year or so ago, but it did not pass.

The proposed new state health care bill as it stands at present does not provide for substance abuse treatment.

Carol Peters, who teaches Houses of Healing courses at Billerica, will come and speak to us in December!

NEXT MEETING: 7:00 pm WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2005

SECOND CHURCH IN NEWTON 60 HIGHLAND STREET, WEST NEWTON