RACHAEL ROLLINS’S name won’t be on the ballot this year, but her approach to prosecution in Suffolk County may end up being front and center. Rollins – both by personality […]
criminal justice
Posted inCriminal Justice, Opinion
Compassionate response to 911 calls with social workers makes sense
IN OCTOBER OF 2016, Boston police officers shot and killed Terrence Coleman, a 31-year-old South End man who suffered from schizophrenia and paranoia, after Coleman’s mother called 911 to have […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Governor’s Council commutes sentences of two men convicted of murder
THE GOVERNOR’S COUNCIL on Wednesday voted unanimously to commute the sentences of two men convicted of first-degree murder, Thomas Koonce and William Allen, sealing the deal on the first commutations […]
Posted inOpinion
SJC takes big step backward on racial justice
IN SEPTEMBER 2020, the Supreme Judicial Court released three landmark rulings which, taken together, placed the judiciary front and center in the fight for racial justice. Commonwealth v. Long lowered […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Health Care
Pervasive mold plagues state hospital for mentally ill detainees
PERVASIVE MOLD AND the potential for exposure to asbestos are endangering the health of individuals confined at Bridgewater State Hospital, according to a new report, leading to renewed calls to […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Hayden eschews labels, vows to ‘do the right thing’ as DA
KEVIN HAYDEN says the heightened attention in recent years to racial bias in the criminal justice system or ways that the most punitive outcome in a case isn’t always the […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Souza-Baranowski prison to introduce officer-worn body cameras
SOME CORRECTION OFFICERS at Souza-Baranowski prison will begin wearing body cameras this summer, under a new pilot program being launched by the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security. […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Koonce, seeking commutation, takes full responsibility for killing
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE FACING THE PROSPECT of a commutation that would make him eligible for parole after three decades behind bars, convicted murderer Thomas Koonce said Wednesday that he […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Commission probes uneven sheriffs’ spending
THE BRISTOL COUNTY sheriff’s department spends around $50,000 per year for each inmate it incarcerates, and around $1,000 per inmate on programming. The Barnstable County sheriff spends twice that – […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Marijuana regulators support updates to drugged driving laws
SINCE MASSACHUSETTS LEGALIZED recreational marijuana, Gov. Charlie Baker has been pushing the Legislature to also update the state’s laws against driving under the influence of drugs. But a lengthy […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Needham police officer charged with insider trading
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE TWO MEN from Needham, one of them a police officer, and a Rhode Island man were arrested Wednesday in connection with an alleged conspiracy to trade […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Baker commutes sentences of two men convicted of murder
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER on Wednesday commuted the sentences of two men who were convicted of murder. the first commutations the Republican governor has issued since he took office. “I believe […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Federal lawsuit alleges brutal abuse by Souza-Baranowski officers
A FEDERAL LAWSUIT filed by Prisoners’ Legal Services on Monday alleges brutal, violent, and racist behavior by correctional officers at the Souza-Baranowski prison, giving a rare look at the alleged […]
Posted inThe Download
How Boston escaped the national spike in homicides
It’s been a grim companion to the death toll of COVID-19: While the virus has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans, homicide rates have also been soaring nationally. Homicides rose […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Rollins goes out with a bang — at MBTA
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE SUFFOLK COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY Rachael Rollins said Thursday that her office would open an investigation into whether the MBTA bore any criminal responsibility for the Green […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
‘Red flag’ gun bill used just six times last year
WHEN GOV. CHARLIE BAKER signed the so-called “red flag” bill in July 2018, it was pitched as a way to save lives. Under the law, a family member or police […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
DAs Blodgett, O’Keefe won’t seek reelection
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE A PAIR OF DISTRICT ATTORNEYS who have each served for two decades announced Wednesday they will not run for reelection this year, while Suffolk County DA […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Commission sharply split on qualified immunity proposals
A SHARPLY DIVIDED commission established to study qualified immunity – a controversial legal doctrine that shields police officers and other public employees from liability from civil lawsuits – is recommending […]
Posted inThe Download
Trauma brought to life in powerful Globe essay
The story comes crashing in with all the page-turning drama of a gripping work of fiction. An opening scene of the 15-year-old protagonist pointing a gun to his mother’s face. […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Trauma brought to life in powerful Globe essay
THE STORY COMES crashing in with all the page-turning drama of a gripping work of fiction. An opening scene of the 15-year-old protagonist pointing a gun to his mother’s face. […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Boxborough police chief placed on paid leave
THE BOXBOROUGH SELECT BOARD placed Police Chief Warren Ryder on paid administrative leave Tuesday. No explanation was given, but the board had previously asked the FBI to investigate allegations that […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Drunk driving case raises consent issues
IT IS ESTABLISHED case law that someone suspected of drunk driving must consent before a blood test can be performed on them, for the safety of both the individual and […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Bodycam commission, slow to form, misses deadline
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE MORE WIDESPREAD USE of body cameras ranks high among policing reform priorities, but a commission set up under the one-year-old reform law has missed its deadline […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Essex prosecutors will investigate claims of improper masking at Middleton jail
A PUBLIC DEFENDER in Essex County is asking that his client be released from the Middleton jail because correction officers are not properly masking. Andrew daMota, an attorney with the Committee […]
