government Archives

STINGRAYS, SIMULATORS, SURVEILLANCE, AND SILVERADOS

How Massachusetts State Police are using the opioid crisis to pursue “profound and dangerous erosions of privacy and civil liberties”

DAN ATKINSON February 6, 2024

FARE GAME

After years of delays, the MBTA is finally about to roll out a new fare-collection apparatus. Will it only lead to more problems for the embattled agency?

DAN ATKINSON January 22, 2024

While Massachusetts seeks a contractor to provide healthcare services for people in state prisons, advocates are pushing for stronger oversight of private operators as incarcerated people describe “deplorable” neglect and mistreatment By Dan Atkinson and Jean Trounstine For the past six years, Massachusetts has paid more than half-a-billion dollars to

DAN ATKINSON & JEAN TROUNSTINE January 12, 2024

WITH MORE DELAYS FOR NEW EQUIPMENT, MBTA PUTS BAND-AIDS ON OLD TRAINS

“Sole-source procurement is not working for the T, it’s costing a lot of money and problems beyond the Red Line.”

DAN ATKINSON November 27, 2023

LAWMAKERS QUESTION MASS PAROLE PROCESS. CAN THEY IMPROVE THE SYSTEM?

Concerned about the “onerous conditions of parole” and longstanding cruel procedures, legislators and reform advocates push major legislative and cultural changes.

JEAN TROUNSTINE November 6, 2023

THE MBTA’S REVOLVING DOOR

The MBTA pays former T workers millions to fix longstanding problems, but transit advocates say inside hiring isn’t getting riders or the system where they need to go.

DAN ATKINSON October 4, 2023

DOES A NEW GOVERNOR SIGNAL A NEW DIRECTION FOR THE MASS PAROLE BOARD?

“I know that if Sarah Coughlin is appointed to the Parole Board, she will be the people’s Parole Board member.”

JEAN TROUNSTINE September 18, 2023

CLOAK & RECORDS: MORE POST COMMISSION OMISSIONS

“If the same police departments issue press releases after arrests—not convictions—if they think that doing that makes the community safer, then why redact information about alleged abuses from police officers themselves?”

DAN ATKINSON September 14, 2023

TRAGEDY STILL LINGERS OVER LAWRENCE

A Merrimack Valley Natural Gas Explosion Time Capsule: Putting the extensive damage done in focus five years after a preventable fatal disaster disrupted northeast Massachusetts

CHRIS FARAONE September 13, 2023

IMPUNITY SERVICE

The state’s police oversight commission only publicizes cops who have been punished, but there’s a back door to discovering the dirty details of departments that let problematic officers linger “The public deserves to see allegations of police misconduct in real time, because officers have tremendous powers and responsibilities in our

DAN ATKINSON June 28, 2023