prisons Archives

GOVERNING IN DARKNESS: Part 3

Who are the Massachusetts governor’s councilors? What professional baggage do they bring to the body? And can this motley crew stumble toward reform?

JEAN TROUNSTINE August 29, 2024

GOVERNING IN DARKNESS: Part 2

With its hollow rules, ethical dilemmas, and reluctance to address a lack of transparency and other problems, the Governor’s Council has no clothes

JEAN TROUNSTINE August 14, 2024

AFTER MATTIS

First “emerging adult” parole hearing held in Massachusetts since historic ruling on life without parole for those under 21

JEAN TROUNSTINE July 29, 2024

RESEARCHING THE MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNOR’S COUNCIL

New series by Jean Trounstine includes original data set on Massachusetts judicial appointments culled from hundreds of paper files

BINJ ONLINE July 26, 2024

GOVERNING IN DARKNESS: Part 1

For centuries, critics have questioned whether the Governor’s Council, rife with conflict, should exist. In 2024, is the body obsolete?

JEAN TROUNSTINE July 25, 2024

GRADING THE PAROLE BOARD

The Massachusetts Parole Board still faces big challenges despite making some improvements this past year. Its final member was approved this week, but is the body equipped to operate efficiently?

JEAN TROUNSTINE April 3, 2024

A “NEW HOPE”

What the Mattis decision means for parole in Massachusetts—unprecedented opportunities for release from life sentences, updated trainings for attorneys, and a big shift in the system

JEAN TROUNSTINE February 1, 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

DIAMONDS & GUNS

The untold story of Charles Taylor’s time in the Bay State, the crimes he committed, and the prison he escaped from before ransacking Liberia and Sierra Leone.

NATE HOMAN January 9, 2024

DIAMONDS & GUNS

The untold story of Charles Taylor’s time in the Bay State, the crimes he committed, and the prison he escaped from before ransacking Liberia and Sierra Leone.

NATE HOMAN January 9, 2024