Please click here for Massachusetts Correctional Legal Services'
full written testimony.
On 1/11 a public hearing was held on
proposed Department of Correction classification regs
THE PROPOSED REGULATIONS WILL LIKELY COMPOUND EXISTING PRISONER OVER-CLASSIFICATION AND EXACERBATE EXISTING RELATED PROBLEMS, INCLUDING THE DIFFICULTY FOR EX-OFFENDERS TO REINTEGRATE SUCCESSFULLY.
The room was packed with advocates, ex-offenders, legislators and concerned citizens who all spoke in opposition to the implementation of the proposed regulations. Many thanks to everyone who turned out and/or testified and to the attentive panelists who conducted the hearing.
The period for public comment has been extended to January 25th.
While oral comment was heard by a panel of DOC officials and notes were taken, the proceedings were not recorded. If you have not already submitted written testimony, please do so by sending it to:
Attorney Kevin Anahory
Department of Correction Legal Division
20 Administration Road
Bridgewater State Hospital
Bridgewater, MA 02324
[email protected]
If your testimony includes a description of existing problems based on the current regulations, please be sure to state why you think that the new regulations will compound these problems. If you have additional questions or would like help in preparing your testimony, please contact Brandyn at 508-982-2247 or [email protected].
DOC's stated goal and CJPC's is the same: to reduce prisoner over-classification and increase meaningful opportunities for step-down. We disagree that the proposed regulations will move us toward that goal and are requesting indefinite delay of full implementation until the new administration has had time to examine adequately the potential impact of the regulations.
We are pleased that the officials present were open to the idea of convening another public meeting in a few months to share data with the public. | 