Prisoners' Legal Services of Massachusetts
@plsma.bsky.social
Prisoners' Legal Services promotes the safe, humane and lawful treatment of Massachusetts prisoners through litigation, advocacy, and outreach.
Pinned
Incarcerated people need your help ending harmful confinement in MA. There're many ways you can get involved:
🎫 Attend events,
📣 Contact your legislators to advocate for reform,
📧 Sign up for PLS' Policy Team mailing list,
🥇All the above!
Learn more and get started here:
linktr.ee/pls_ma
🎫 Attend events,
📣 Contact your legislators to advocate for reform,
📧 Sign up for PLS' Policy Team mailing list,
🥇All the above!
Learn more and get started here:
linktr.ee/pls_ma
"Six apparent suicides in MA prisons this year, the most recent four in the space of little over 2 months, is more than just a statistic. It’s a wake-up call — that at a time when the prison population is relatively low, something is very wrong inside the walls."
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/23/o...
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/23/o...
Uptick in prison suicides cries out for humane solution - The Boston Globe
Incarceration wasn’t meant to be a death sentence.
www.bostonglobe.com
November 24, 2025 at 4:06 PM
"Six apparent suicides in MA prisons this year, the most recent four in the space of little over 2 months, is more than just a statistic. It’s a wake-up call — that at a time when the prison population is relatively low, something is very wrong inside the walls."
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/23/o...
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/23/o...
For decades, incarceration has devastated families and communities, yet women’s experiences have been largely erased from the conversation. This new report from the FreeHer Institute helps change that: www.nationalcouncil.us/work-to-be-d...
Work to Be Done: Exposing the Truth About Women’s Incarceration and the Urgent Need for Change — The National Council
For decades, women’s incarceration has been ignored in research and policy, leaving deep scars on families and communities. Work to Be Done, the inaugural FreeHer Institute report, exposes how the…
www.nationalcouncil.us
November 20, 2025 at 2:03 PM
For decades, incarceration has devastated families and communities, yet women’s experiences have been largely erased from the conversation. This new report from the FreeHer Institute helps change that: www.nationalcouncil.us/work-to-be-d...
Reposted by Prisoners' Legal Services of Massachusetts
NEW: Victor Rosario spent 32 years behind bars for a crime he says he did not commit before a judge overturned his convictions. More than a decade after his release, he returned to MCI Norfolk as a free man. There, he shared a walk—and a message of hope—with his old friends.
#Massachusetts
#Massachusetts
“Freedom is started from the inside”
Victor Rosario spent 32 years behind bars for a crime he says he did not commit. He returned to prison as a free man to share a walk—and a message of hope—with his old friends.
andrewqmr.substack.com
November 19, 2025 at 4:13 PM
NEW: Victor Rosario spent 32 years behind bars for a crime he says he did not commit before a judge overturned his convictions. More than a decade after his release, he returned to MCI Norfolk as a free man. There, he shared a walk—and a message of hope—with his old friends.
#Massachusetts
#Massachusetts
MA currently funnels hundreds of thousands of dollars per year into infrastructure that helps support ICE detention. At a recent hearing regarding responding to federal immigration enforcement , PLS Staff Attorney Leah Hastings urged the legislature to redirect funding.
www.wwlp.com/news/state-p...
www.wwlp.com/news/state-p...
Massachusetts lawmakers address ICE arrests, deportation concerns
Local lawmakers convened a hearing with immigrants, lawyers, and stakeholders to address the impact of skyrocketing ICE arrests and deportations in Massachusetts communities.
www.wwlp.com
November 18, 2025 at 9:43 PM
MA currently funnels hundreds of thousands of dollars per year into infrastructure that helps support ICE detention. At a recent hearing regarding responding to federal immigration enforcement , PLS Staff Attorney Leah Hastings urged the legislature to redirect funding.
www.wwlp.com/news/state-p...
www.wwlp.com/news/state-p...
A federal judge recently approved a $6.75M settlement and major reforms to use-of-force practices after incarcerated people at Souza-Baranowski were subjected to weeks of racially-charged state-sanctioned violence in January 2020.
www.axios.com/local/boston...
www.axios.com/local/boston...
What the Mass. DOC's $6.7M prison settlement means
Legal experts consider the conditions an opportunity for reform.
www.axios.com
November 17, 2025 at 10:28 PM
A federal judge recently approved a $6.75M settlement and major reforms to use-of-force practices after incarcerated people at Souza-Baranowski were subjected to weeks of racially-charged state-sanctioned violence in January 2020.
www.axios.com/local/boston...
www.axios.com/local/boston...
On 11/17, join The National Council & FJAH at their town hall to learn about their mission, values, history, and legislative priorities for 2025. This event will have a special focus on our Elder/Medical Parole Bill (H.2693/S.1722). We hope to see you there!
secure.everyaction.com/s7U42uOSWEy1...
secure.everyaction.com/s7U42uOSWEy1...
FreeHer MA Town Hall--Elder/Medical Parole Focus
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secure.everyaction.com
November 13, 2025 at 9:47 PM
On 11/17, join The National Council & FJAH at their town hall to learn about their mission, values, history, and legislative priorities for 2025. This event will have a special focus on our Elder/Medical Parole Bill (H.2693/S.1722). We hope to see you there!
secure.everyaction.com/s7U42uOSWEy1...
secure.everyaction.com/s7U42uOSWEy1...
Visitation for incarcerated people is crucial for maintaining outside connection and ensuring successful reentry. Due to poor DOC policy, visit numbers have dramatically decreased in recent years but pending legislation can fix this. Learn more and take action: bit.ly/visitation25
November 7, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Visitation for incarcerated people is crucial for maintaining outside connection and ensuring successful reentry. Due to poor DOC policy, visit numbers have dramatically decreased in recent years but pending legislation can fix this. Learn more and take action: bit.ly/visitation25
The increase in deaths, and especially deaths by suicides, in MA prisons raise serious concerns. These tragedies are not isolated incidents; they reflect systemic failures in health care & the harmful impacts of restrictive housing.
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/06/m...
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/06/m...
Mass. prisons to review surge in suicides among inmates - The Boston Globe
The number of fatalities diverged dramatically from previous years, the agency said.
www.bostonglobe.com
November 6, 2025 at 7:36 PM
The increase in deaths, and especially deaths by suicides, in MA prisons raise serious concerns. These tragedies are not isolated incidents; they reflect systemic failures in health care & the harmful impacts of restrictive housing.
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/06/m...
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/06/m...
There has been a rise in unexpected deaths in MA prisons, underscoring long-standing concerns about safe conditions, adequate healthcare, & mental health treatment. These deaths were preventable. We need accountability and immediate reform to protect lives.
www.masslive.com/news/2025/11...
www.masslive.com/news/2025/11...
Answers demanded after rash of ‘unexpected’ deaths in Mass. prisons; DOC initiates review
Advocates for prisoners say the recent deaths "raise fundamental questions about whether the DOC can fulfill its most basic obligations." The DOC says it has a plan.
www.masslive.com
November 5, 2025 at 9:42 PM
There has been a rise in unexpected deaths in MA prisons, underscoring long-standing concerns about safe conditions, adequate healthcare, & mental health treatment. These deaths were preventable. We need accountability and immediate reform to protect lives.
www.masslive.com/news/2025/11...
www.masslive.com/news/2025/11...
Last week, PLS finalized a $6.75 million settlement on behalf of nearly 160 people incarcerated at Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center. In 2020, top-level officials at the MA DOC sanctioned a weeks-long campaign of brutality against incarcerated people:
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/30/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/30/u...
Inmates Win $6 Million Settlement for Abuse Claims Against Prison Officers
The inmates said the officers carried out a weekslong campaign of violence in 2020 at the state’s lone maximum security prison.
www.nytimes.com
November 4, 2025 at 8:46 PM
Last week, PLS finalized a $6.75 million settlement on behalf of nearly 160 people incarcerated at Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center. In 2020, top-level officials at the MA DOC sanctioned a weeks-long campaign of brutality against incarcerated people:
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/30/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/30/u...
Despite official claims, we still have a de facto solitary confinement system in Massachusetts. At Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center, most incarcerated people are confined to their cells up to 20 hours per day. Pending legislation would change that.
www.dotnews.com/2025/new-bil...
www.dotnews.com/2025/new-bil...
New bill targets ‘humanitarian crisis’ in Massachusetts prisons, eyes universal standards for all | Dorchester Reporter
Legislation targeting what advocates call a “humanitarian crisis” in Massachusetts prisons would enhance educational opportunities, mental health services, and other standards across the system,…
www.dotnews.com
October 31, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Despite official claims, we still have a de facto solitary confinement system in Massachusetts. At Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center, most incarcerated people are confined to their cells up to 20 hours per day. Pending legislation would change that.
www.dotnews.com/2025/new-bil...
www.dotnews.com/2025/new-bil...
Reposted by Prisoners' Legal Services of Massachusetts
A group of about 150 current and former inmates at a Massachusetts prison who accused correction officers of brutal abuse will receive about $6 million in a settlement, according to details of the agreement released by plaintiffs’ lawyers.
Inmates Win $6 Million Settlement for Abuse Claims Against Prison Officers
The inmates said the officers carried out a weekslong campaign of violence in 2020 at the state’s lone maximum security prison.
nyti.ms
October 30, 2025 at 1:40 PM
A group of about 150 current and former inmates at a Massachusetts prison who accused correction officers of brutal abuse will receive about $6 million in a settlement, according to details of the agreement released by plaintiffs’ lawyers.
Massachusetts sheriffs are receiving scrutiny for their ballooning budgets, highlighting how ridiculous their specious complaints about the cost of free phone calls for incarcerated people are.
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/30/o...
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/30/o...
Free calls from jail are a lifeline, not a sheriff’s ‘expense’ - The Boston Globe
Ever since free phone calls for people in prison and jail went into effect, various sheriffs have been blaming the calls for their budget grievances.
www.bostonglobe.com
October 30, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Massachusetts sheriffs are receiving scrutiny for their ballooning budgets, highlighting how ridiculous their specious complaints about the cost of free phone calls for incarcerated people are.
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/30/o...
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/30/o...
MAJOR VICTORY: A judge approved our $6.75M settlement for 160 people at Souza-Baranowski who endured weeks of brutal, racially charged retaliation by corrections officers in 2020. The settlement includes landmark reforms and compensation to prevent future abuse.
www.masslive.com/news/2025/10...
www.masslive.com/news/2025/10...
Mass. to pay $6.75M to nearly 160 prisoners after ‘campaign of violence’ by guards
Lawyers for the incarcerated people say a state prison in Shirley has been "plagued with violence" since it opened in 1998.
www.masslive.com
October 28, 2025 at 8:37 PM
MAJOR VICTORY: A judge approved our $6.75M settlement for 160 people at Souza-Baranowski who endured weeks of brutal, racially charged retaliation by corrections officers in 2020. The settlement includes landmark reforms and compensation to prevent future abuse.
www.masslive.com/news/2025/10...
www.masslive.com/news/2025/10...
PLS is deeply concerned about recent deaths at multiple DOC facilities. We are actively investigating the circumstances surrounding these deaths and call on the Department of Correction to provide greater transparency.
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/25/m...
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/25/m...
Man dies in custody at Souza-Baranowski prison - The Boston Globe
A male inmate died at Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center earlier this month.
www.bostonglobe.com
October 27, 2025 at 10:03 PM
PLS is deeply concerned about recent deaths at multiple DOC facilities. We are actively investigating the circumstances surrounding these deaths and call on the Department of Correction to provide greater transparency.
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/25/m...
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/25/m...
H.4125 would bring real accountability to prison food services in MA by creating an independent Food Services Inspector to ensure incarcerated people receive nutritious, safe meals—and that food budgets are actually spent on food. Learn more in this brochure from an incarcerated artist!
October 24, 2025 at 8:54 PM
H.4125 would bring real accountability to prison food services in MA by creating an independent Food Services Inspector to ensure incarcerated people receive nutritious, safe meals—and that food budgets are actually spent on food. Learn more in this brochure from an incarcerated artist!
Recent research from Prison Policy Initiative reveals the true scale of immigration detention is 45% larger than reported. The Trump administration helps enable and hide mass deportation by using local jails like Plymouth Co. Correctional Facility (PCCF) in MA: www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/jail...
Hiding in Plain Sight: How local jails obscure and facilitate mass deportation under Trump
www.prisonpolicy.org
October 23, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Recent research from Prison Policy Initiative reveals the true scale of immigration detention is 45% larger than reported. The Trump administration helps enable and hide mass deportation by using local jails like Plymouth Co. Correctional Facility (PCCF) in MA: www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/jail...
A new collaboration between the World Peace Foundation at Tufts University and the Transformational Prison Project is challenging assumptions about what contributes to successful reentry. Learn more in this op-ed from leaders of both organizations: www.tuftsdaily.com/article/2025...
Op-ed: Reentry success for incarcerated individuals isn’t what you think - The Tufts Daily
What “successful reentry” looks like for individuals transitioning from correctional facilities to life post-release is often treated as self-evident: It means not going back to jail or prison, a…
www.tuftsdaily.com
October 21, 2025 at 8:36 PM
A new collaboration between the World Peace Foundation at Tufts University and the Transformational Prison Project is challenging assumptions about what contributes to successful reentry. Learn more in this op-ed from leaders of both organizations: www.tuftsdaily.com/article/2025...
PLS filed Caron v. Coppinger because our clients with Hepatitis C at a local jail were repeatedly denied treatment. Unfortunately, our clients are far from alone in this regard. Learn more about Hepatitis C in carceral settings: petrieflom.law.harvard.edu/2025/10/06/w...
October 20, 2025 at 8:58 PM
PLS filed Caron v. Coppinger because our clients with Hepatitis C at a local jail were repeatedly denied treatment. Unfortunately, our clients are far from alone in this regard. Learn more about Hepatitis C in carceral settings: petrieflom.law.harvard.edu/2025/10/06/w...
Reposted by Prisoners' Legal Services of Massachusetts
NEW: After spending 28 years in prison for a murder he says he did not commit, Rickey “FuQuan” McGee stepped out of the John Adams Courthouse in #Boston surrounded by dozens of jubilant supporters on October 14.
“I’m going to live incredibly,” McGee told the crowd as he held his fiancée and mother.
“I’m going to live incredibly,” McGee told the crowd as he held his fiancée and mother.
Boston Judge Frees Man While He Fights to Overturn 1998 Murder Conviction—With Prosecutors’ Help
Rickey “FuQuan” McGee spent 28 years in prison for a murder he says he didn’t commit. Now, prosecutors agree his convictions should be overturned.
andrewqmr.substack.com
October 20, 2025 at 5:04 PM
NEW: After spending 28 years in prison for a murder he says he did not commit, Rickey “FuQuan” McGee stepped out of the John Adams Courthouse in #Boston surrounded by dozens of jubilant supporters on October 14.
“I’m going to live incredibly,” McGee told the crowd as he held his fiancée and mother.
“I’m going to live incredibly,” McGee told the crowd as he held his fiancée and mother.
Yesterday, PLS staff testified alongside incarcerated people, legislators, & advocates in favor of the Dignity and Freedom Platform. To continue the momentum, we ask that you please use this action alert to easily ask your legislator to support the Platform: plsma.org/takeaction
Contact Legislators Re: CJ reform
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secure.everyaction.com
October 16, 2025 at 9:23 PM
Yesterday, PLS staff testified alongside incarcerated people, legislators, & advocates in favor of the Dignity and Freedom Platform. To continue the momentum, we ask that you please use this action alert to easily ask your legislator to support the Platform: plsma.org/takeaction
PLS' final testifier at today's hearing was Maheeb Rabbani who spoke in support of An Act Relative to Human Rights and Improved Outcomes for Incarcerated People (S.1651/H.2608). Learn more about our work at: plsma.org/links
October 15, 2025 at 9:58 PM
PLS' final testifier at today's hearing was Maheeb Rabbani who spoke in support of An Act Relative to Human Rights and Improved Outcomes for Incarcerated People (S.1651/H.2608). Learn more about our work at: plsma.org/links
At today's Public Safety Hearing, PLS' Mac Hudson spoke alongside a panel of advocates about An Act Creating an independent correctional oversight office to facilitate the recommendations of the Special Legislative Commission on Structural Racism in Correctional Facilities of the Commonwealth.
October 15, 2025 at 9:48 PM
At today's Public Safety Hearing, PLS' Mac Hudson spoke alongside a panel of advocates about An Act Creating an independent correctional oversight office to facilitate the recommendations of the Special Legislative Commission on Structural Racism in Correctional Facilities of the Commonwealth.
PLS' Dr. Alice Bukhman testified today alongside a panel of medical providers in support of An Act Relative to Elder and Medical Parole, which will take a two pronged approach to addressing some of the most pressing issues we face in caring and advocating for a sick and aging prison population.
October 15, 2025 at 8:56 PM
PLS' Dr. Alice Bukhman testified today alongside a panel of medical providers in support of An Act Relative to Elder and Medical Parole, which will take a two pronged approach to addressing some of the most pressing issues we face in caring and advocating for a sick and aging prison population.
Happening Now: PLS' Nikki Louis testifies in support of An Act to build restorative family and community connection. Visitation is crucial for the well-being & successful reentry of incarcerated people yet visit numbers have dropped precipitously due to DOC policy. This bill would ensure access.
October 15, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Happening Now: PLS' Nikki Louis testifies in support of An Act to build restorative family and community connection. Visitation is crucial for the well-being & successful reentry of incarcerated people yet visit numbers have dropped precipitously due to DOC policy. This bill would ensure access.