STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE A FEDERAL JUDGE sentenced former Rep. David Nangle to 15 months in prison on Wednesday after the Lowell Democrat pleaded guilty earlier this year to illegally […]
criminal justice
Posted inCriminal Justice
As sentencing approaches, 2 sides of Nangle emerge
IS FORMER STATE Rep. David Nangle a corrupt politician and expert at the legislative quid pro quo, or is he a compassionate, caring man felled by an addiction to gambling? Sentencing memos written by […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
SJC sets limits on use of police body camera footage
AS THE MASSACHUSETTS Legislature continues to study how to regulate police-worn body cameras, the Supreme Judicial Court on Friday established legal limits on how body camera footage can be used. […]
Posted inOpinion
A public safety agenda for the next mayor
THE BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT is currently facing a paradox. On the one hand, many in the police department view the agency as a national model for future policing. On the […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
SJC urged to reduce prison population during COVID
THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION is not doing enough to prevent the spread of COVID-19 because it has failed to take meaningful steps to reduce its prison population, prisoners’ rights advocates […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Department of Correction finally hires ombudsman
AFTER A DELAY of several months, the Department of Correction has entered into a contract with the University of Massachusetts Medical School to create an ombudsman’s office within the department. […]
Posted inOpinion
Witnessing history at the Sirhan parole hearing
THE 1960s marked a profound change in the American psyche. Gone was the optimism of the post-World War II era as Americans began to embrace a profound distrust of their […]
Posted inThe Download
Varsity Blues cases heading toward court
Operation Varsity Blues keeps rolling along, as the US attorney’s office continues to rack up convictions using wiretap recordings of wealthy parents trying to buy “side door” access to elite […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
PrEP must be available behind bars
IN AN EFFORT to reduce HIV transmission, the Biden administration released new guidance in July mandating that medical insurers provide free access to medication that prevents transmission of HIV. Although […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Ombudsman position at Correction Dept. still unfilled
AS THE COVID-19 pandemic spread through the prison system, lawmakers inserted an item into last year’s budget bill creating a new position of ombudsman at the Department of Correction. The ombudsman was […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Home where youth worker was killed saw recent rise in assaults
THE SPRINGFIELD HOME for court-involved juveniles where youth worker James Hillman was fatally assaulted on June 30 was no stranger to violent altercations – and in fact, the number of […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Rollins received severance agreement from Massport
SUFFOLK COUNTY District Attorney Rachael Rollins, who was nominated last week by President Biden to become the next US attorney for the District of Massachusetts, has a very strong resume, […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Lawsuit says DOC accused lawyers, inmates based faulty drug test
ARE LAWYERS ACTUALLY sending letters to inmates in Massachusetts prisons that are meant not so much to be read but smoked? It sounds like the plot to a zany dramedy, […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Report rips Boston police handling of Rose case
A CITY-COMMISSIONED REPORT into the case involving former Boston police officer Patrick Rose, who was charged with child sexual abuse in the mid 1990s but nonetheless remained on the force […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
James Hillman, DYS youth worker attacked by juvenile, dies
AN EMPLOYEE WHO worked at a residence for juvenile offenders in Springfield has died weeks after he was attacked by a juvenile who lived there. The employee was identified by […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Activists seek moratorium on prison construction
MASSACHUSETTS HAS THE lowest incarceration rate in the country and its inmate population continues to decline steadily, yet the state is still investing heavily in prisons and jails. A bill […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Berkshire district attorney aims to open ‘black box’ of plea negotiations
MOST CRIMINAL CASES never make it to trial. Nationally, around 90 to 95 percent of cases are resolved through a guilty plea, where the prosecutor and defendant reach a negotiated […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
DYS worker assaulted, suffers life-threatening injuries
AN EMPLOYEE at a Department of Youth Services facility in Springfield suffered life-threatening injuries after being assaulted by a juvenile housed there. The victim, who has not been identified, is hospitalized […]
Posted inOpinion
Boston Police need policies for dealing with children
After this commentary piece was submitted, the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission issued guidance on how police forces in Massachusetts should deal with minor children. To read the guidance, […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Department of Correction moves to end solitary confinement
THE MASSACHUSETTS Department of Correction on Tuesday announced its intention to end solitary confinement as currently constituted within three years, based on the recommendations of an independent consultant. “This comprehensive […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Former candidate arrested on campaign finance charges
A FORMER Massachusetts congressional candidate was arrested Tuesday and accused of soliciting at least $125,000 of illegal campaign contributions from friends and family members and steering some of the funds […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Opinion, Race/Racism
Closing a hate-crime loophole
IMAGINE WAKING UP in the morning and seeing an image of hate painted on the front door of the apartment you’ve rented for years. This image is meant to target […]
Posted inThe Download
For Rollins, it’s full speed ahead
If anyone thought Rachael Rollins might trim her sails while waiting for word on whether she gets the nod as President Biden’s choice for US attorney for Massachusetts, they clearly […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Rollins slams lack of criminal justice data sharing
SUFFOLK COUNTY District Attorney Rachael Rollins slammed the Baker administration for failing to update the state’s criminal justice information system to allow information to be more easily shared between agencies. “I think it’s just […]
