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Testimony regarding House No. 1723,
Petition of Carl M. Sciortino, Jr., and others relative to the construction
of new correctional facilities and providing for an investigation of
incarceration and its impact on public safety
This bill establishes a
five-year moratorium on the construction/expansion of new jails, houses of
corrections, and prisons. It also creates a Special Commission to study
issues related to overcrowding in jails, the effectiveness of incarceration
when dealing with populations with mental illness and substance abuse
treatment needs, and alternatives to sentencing for more humane and
cost-effective means of protecting public safety.
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Testimony of Rep. Carl Sciortino
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Testimony submitted by SHaRC members
(Note: Due to the demands of the May 1st hearing on prisoner suicides and
subsequent notice of the May 8th moratorium hearing, testimony regarding
H.B. 1723 was submitted individually by members of SHaRC.)
Nancy Ahmadifar - Invest in workforce
development instead of prisons. “The keys to reducing recidivism are well
established--substance abuse services, stable housing, and employment. [ ]
A reduction in recidivism will result in a significant reduction in
overcrowding.” Investment in people is an investment in public safety.
Andrea Hornbein - Remedy, not
duplicate, ineffective and harmful policy and practice first; scrutinize
waste and corruption of guards and staff; public opinion polls show shift
from tough on crime to prevention. “Even the Sheriff of Middlesex County
agrees that building more jails and prisons will not solve any crime
problems.”
Jason Lydon - UUA endorses HB 1723;
Violation of prisoners rights under ratified international accords; Post
Incarceration Syndrome. “As a survivor of the prison system I can tell you
that what one goes through on the inside stays with them forever.
Kim Milberg - Community impact of
prisons and jails; “rehabilitation is best accomplished outside of a prison
or jail with community and family support and without the daily fears,
degradations and traumatic experiences of a prison or jail environment.”
Susan Mortimer - H.B. 1723 will
investigate the causes and impact of overcrowding “to determine the effects
of our continuing reliance upon a corrections system that receives little or
no scrutiny and one that warehouses human beings for huge sums of taxpayer
money.”
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Testimony submitted by community members
and representatives of concerned organizations. To be posted. Please check
back at
www.MassDecarcerate.org.
Lois Ahrens, Director, Real Cost of Prisons
Project
Brian Buckley, former prisoner
Melissa McWhinney, attorney, Advocacy
Director, Community Action Agency of Somerville, former Director of the
Mayor's Office of Human Services. |
TM
Last Updated on
Wednesday July 25, 2007.