Make every correctional officer a program officer

Gov. Baker [of Massachusetts] has proposed $640 million for the Department of Corrections [DOC] for 2019 PLUS a line item for $11 million for the training and hiring of 200 new correctional officers [COs]. The DOC now spends less than 2 percent on programs for incarcerated people.

Does this reflect our priorities or prepare people to return home? Some 92 percent of all incarcerated people will return home.

Another possibility is to transition toward the goal that all COs serve as program officers, who share a skill and/or knowledge with the people in their care. The program can be practically anything–culinary, GED preparation/tutoring, plumbing, carpentry, writing, running a small business, yoga/mindfulness, college or high school classes, computer repair/programming, job skills, trauma awareness/healing, or sales and communication skills, to name a few possibilities.

“The union would never go for it,” according to naysayers. What about tuning into the WIFM channel — What’s in it for me?

When every CO is a program officer, they:

1. Would work in a safer environment because their relationships with incarcerated people would be transformed from adversarial and punishment to one of friendly guidance;
2. Would have more interesting satisfying jobs, that go deeper than providing security and warehousing, with opportunities to help people;
3. Might have less suicide and/or substance abuse disorder, better relationships at work and at home, and improved mental and physical health in the short and long term.

Wouldn’t that be motivation for the union to work toward constructive change within the system?

With a healthier environment, other problems might dissipate, such as contraband and drug distribution and use inside; gang membership; violence; mental illness; idleness and lack of motivation and rehabilitation.

New ideas are typically first ridiculed. More humane prisons in Europe have demonstrated that more progressive prisons and jails result in dramatically lower rates of recidivism.

We have nothing to lose from implementing something NEW in our broken correctional system, which depends on repeat customers filling our prisons and jails.  It would give the opportunity for the DOC to fulfill its motto of “Manage, Care, Program, Prepare.”

 

Join the Call-in Storm for more Gardner visiting hours

“I went to visit [Gardner] Friday [April 7, 2017] and it was CRAZY. One family member took a picture of all the cars lined up on the road to the prison from Route 2 [two miles away]. They are bringing the men into the visiting room before their families to try to move it along but today, men waited one hour or more before the family came in. Some men got up and walked out without the visit from a family member.”  — From “H”, a dedicated visitor.

The family member who made the statement above often gets the inside information.

The real story is that Colette Goguen, superintendent of the institution, does not follow normal scheduling protocol for correctional officers (COs) who work the 1-9 pm shift, typical for visiting hours. Most other institutions provide COs two days off in a row after working a 1-9 pm shift in the visiting room. Gardner’s weekend visiting hours are now 9 am to 3:30 pm.

Goguen refuses to give that perk, so correctional officers refuse to bid for those shifts. Hence, visiting hours are condensed, families and incarcerated men are furious, and we must take action to remedy this situation. Some incarcerated men who have protested from inside have reportedly been sent to segregation for “organizing.”

You are urged to call Gov. Baker, (617-725-4005) or (888-870-7770) in- state, and Supt. Goguen, (978) 630-6000, (press 1 then 7) with the following message – or your own words.

“Family visits are crucial to well-being inside of prison, and to maintain relationships with children and adults to promote successful re-entry. More than 92 percent of all people leave prison, and many studies have shown the importance of family visits.

“Please reinstate Monday visiting hours and put back the Saturday and Sunday visiting hours to 1-9 pm instead of the 9-3:30 hours.”

THANK YOU for calling. Prison officials and Gov. Baker must feel pressure from people directly impacted and from the larger community who want to insure decent treatment of incarcerated people and their families. Although the state requires three visiting periods a week, which Gardner technically exceeds, as do most other institutions. Some 900 men are incarcerated in free public housing in Gardner, at an average cost of more than $54,000 a year, per person. Most of that cost is for CO wages and benefits.

Storm the Statehouse by telephone! Make your voice heard. This has impact. THANK YOU. Please do it this week- April 10-15.