Special
Commission on Correctional Funding
Finance and Data Subcommittees
January 10, 2020, 11am
State House, Room 428, Boston, MA 02133
Meeting Minutes
Commissioners Present:
Emi Joy
Ben Forman
Mike Widmer
Will Brownsberger, Co-Chair, State Senator
Edward Dolan, Commissioner
James Morton
Kate Cook
Gianni Maffeo
Mike Ashe, Hampden County Sheriff (ret.)
Tim Whelan, State Representative
Tom Hodgson, Bristol County Sheriff
Kevin Coppinger, Essex County Sheriff
Gerard Horgan
Tom Preston
Commissioners Absent (Not Necessarily Members of Subcommittee):
Denise Garlick, Co-Chair, State
Representative
Ryan Fattman, State Senator
Kevin Keefe
Christina Crowley
Francesca Spina
The Commissioners
introduced themselves, and Mike Widmer and Ben Forman were voted in to chair
the subcommittee. The Commissioners discussed a scope of work for a consultant presented
by Senator Brownsberger and decided to include as part of the scope of work, in
addition to what the Senator presented, a study of employee recruitment and
retention. The Commissioners decided to go ahead with developing an RFP based
on that scope of work, with the plan to bring the selection of the consultant
back to the Commission.
Special
Commission on Correctional Funding
MAT and Programming Subcommittees
January 10, 2020, 2pm
State House, Room 428, Boston, MA 02133
Meeting Minutes
Commissioners Present:
Will Brownsberger, Co-Chair, State Senator
Denise Garlick, State Representative
Mike Ashe, Hampden County Sheriff (ret.)
Thomas Hodgson, Bristol County Sheriff
Kevin Coppinger, Essex County Sheriff
Gerard Horgan
Christina Crowley
Kevin Keefe
Commissioners Absent (Not Necessarily Members of Subcommittee):
Ben Forman
Timothy R. Whelan, State Representative
Ryan Fattman, State Senator
Emi Joy
Thomas Preston
Gianni Maffeo
James Morton
Edward J. Dolan
Kate R. Cook
Francesca Spina
Representative Garlick provided a memorandum, summarizing information relative to medication assisted treatment and programming provided by the Massachusetts Sheriffs Association and the Department of Corrections.
Commissioners discussed visiting Houses of Corrections with MAT programs and their interest in seeking data for cost of materials, staffing, timing, and training.
Sheriff Coppinger of Essex County provided descriptions of MAT programs being offered. Essex County reported that the provider for their MAT programs is Wellpath. They are seeing successful results as of September 1 and they believe this is due to counseling being offered in addition to MAT. Essex is carefully tracking real-time data so the program can be adjusted in the moment. All data is being submitted to the Department of Public Health.
Commissioners discussed general programming offered by correctional facilities. The sheriffs described how inmates are connected with programming and how they offered programs through outside vendors or volunteer organizations.
The Commissioners discussed a need for a survey to understand programming outcomes so funding can be directed accordingly.
Special
Commission on Correctional Funding
Essex County House of Corrections, Public Training Room
20 Manning Avenue
Middleton, MA
January 24, 2020, 11am
Meeting Minutes
Commissioners Present:
Thomas Preston
Ben Forman
Emi Joy
Kate Cook
Mike Ashe, Hampden County Sheriff (ret.)
Mike Widmer
Francesca Spina
Christina Crowley
James Morton
Edward Dolan
Kevin Keefe
Gerard Horgan
Kevin Coppinger, Essex County Sheriff
Will Brownsberger, State Senator, Co-Chair
Commissioners Absent:
House Co-Chair (not yet named)
Timothy Whelan, State Representative
Gianni Maffeo
Thomas M. Hodgson, Bristol County Sheriff
The Commissioners reviewed the topics discussed at the subcommittee meetings held on January 10, 2020.
Senator Brownsberger indicated that Representative Garlick would no longer be chairing the Commission based on a new responsibility in the House of Representatives and that he was awaiting word of who would act as his Co-Chair.
The Commissioners decided to invite the National Institute of Corrections to their next meeting and to ask them for technical assistance in reviewing the scope of work for the consultant.
Sheriff Coppinger and correctional staff provided an overview of their operations and Sheriff Coppinger invited Commissioners and members of the public to join him on a tour of his facilities.