RE: Criminal Justice Reform Caucus calls for prison closures
Dear Governor Baker, Secretary Reidy and Commissioner Mici:
As members of the Criminal Justice Reform Caucus, we want to express our strong support for the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) and Department of Correction (DOC) to close certain state prisons, both women's and men's correctional facilities, on account of the Commonwealth’s declining prison population.
In Massachusetts, the prison population has declined from 27,510 in 2011, 19,000 in 2017, to 7,503 incarcerated individuals in 2021. As of December 27, 2021, the Massachusetts Department of Corrections reports 6,255 incarcerated individuals under its jurisdiction.
Because of the actions that the Baker-Polito Administration, Legislature, District Attorneys, and advocates have taken to reduce the number of people who interact with the criminal legal system, and on account of the real dangers that the COVID-19 pandemic poses to our incarcerated population, we believe that now is the time to reduce state spending on incarceration, improve the operation of our state prisons, and increase justice investments. We believe that this will improve public safety both within our state prisons and for the entire Commonwealth.
Undoubtedly, mass incarceration is an expensive endeavor. The annual cost of incarcerating a prisoner in Massachusetts is $122,176 per person. Many studies have highlighted how savings from prison closures could instead be diverted to invest in training, prevention, education, and re-entry services, which are all proven to decrease overall incarceration and recidivism rates. More importantly, investing in our communities by fortifying our social safety nets trends towards the sort of humane and ethical approach to harm reduction that is long overdue, as opposed to the punitive model that we have accepted for most of history.
We implore you to close state correctional facilities in Massachusetts. Thank you for your strong consideration. Please feel free to be in touch with Criminal Justice Caucus Co-chairs, Senator Jamie Eldridge or Rep. Mary Keefe, with any questions.
Sincerely,
State Senator Jamie Eldridge, Middlesex and Worcester District
Senate Co-chair, Criminal Justice Reform Caucus
State Representative Mary S. Keefe, 15th Worcester District
House Co-chair, Criminal Justice Reform Caucus
State Senator Jo Comerford, Hampshire, Franklin, Worcester District
State Senator Mikel Barrett, 3rd Middlesex District
State Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz, 2nd Suffolk District
State Senator Adam Gomez, Hampden District
State Senator Pat Jehlen, Second Middlesex District
State Senator Becca Rausch, Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex District
State Senator Jason Lewis, Fifth Middlesex
State Senator Sal DiDomenico, Middlesex and Suffolk
State Representative Brandy Fluker Oakley, 12th Suffolk District
State Representative Liz Miranda, 5th Suffolk District
State Representative Jack Lewis, 7th Middlesex District
State Representative Carmine Gentile, 13th Middlesex District
State Representative Vanna Howard, 17th Middlesex District
State Representative Danillo Sena, 37th Middlesex District
State Representative Mike Connolly, 26th Middlesex
State Representative Kay Khan, 11th Middlesex
State Representative Erika Uyterhoeven, 27th Middlesex District
Cc:
Lieutenant Governor Karyn PolitoHouse Speaker Ronald Mariano
Senate President Karen E. Spilka
EOPSS Undersecretary for Criminal Justice Andrew Peck Department of Corrections Commissioner Carol Mici Massachusetts Sheriffs’Association President Peter J. Koutoujian