Prisoners' Legal Services (PLS)

Pls handles approximately 1,500-2,000 brief Services matters annually and we have approximately 18 cases on our litigation docket (including 3 medical parole related cases). Our litigation is systemic in nature. We are also advocating for multiple bills that would improve conditions for our clients and their family members.pls filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of dozens of people incarcerated at souza baranowski Correctional center who were systematically assaulted without provocation. The case was filed with co-counsel hogan lovells. We're also engaged in favorable settlement discussions in lawsuits against the department of correction and the bristol county sheriff. We also filed and are co-counsel on cheek v. Massachusetts parole board, which was filed on november 30, 2021 on behalf of 10 individuals who have been successfully on parole for many years. Plaintiffs are asking the court to order the board to conduct timely and meaningful reviews of petitions to terminate parole. In response to the suit, the board has agreed to draft regulations governing termination proceedings and to conduct a public hearing where interested members of the public can testify. Pls also prevailed on a motion to dismiss in a wrongful death case on behalf of a woman who died in the custody of the hampden county sheriff. The case is now in active discovery. Pls has continued monitoring in its suit filed on behalf of deaf and hard of hearing prisoners which has resulted in many significant improvements and a favor partial settlement. The team is now preparing for a trial in the coming months on the remaining issues. The case is being litigated along with the law firm of wilmer hale.to improve the quality of and access to health care, pls hired its first professional healthcare advocate, dr. alice bukhman, who has been instrumental in expanding the scope of pls' healthcare related work. Dr. bukhman is engaged in both individual advocacy and in helping pls think strategically about systemic solutions to the many problems faced by those incarcerated in accessing basic healthcare, including covid-19. Thanks in part to dr. bukhman's support, we were successful in conducting individual advocacy for clients in need of care, bringing greater media attention and legislative oversight to health care issues in the carceral system and got three prisoners released on medical parole during fy22.pls' racial equity in corrections initiative (reici) created a first of its kind survey with the goal of collecting data to eliminate institutional racism and its impacts in prisons and jails. So far, the survey has been mailed to over 1,400 black and brown prisoners in ma doc. Though the distribution process has been slow and fraught with obstacles, the reici team is excited to report that it has received nearly 500 completed surveys. The results of these surveys are currently being assessed and will help inform our advocacy goals, litigation and additional systemic responses, legislative advocacy agenda, and help monitor implementation of legislation, data, and policies to serve the goal of helping eliminate institutional racism.finally, four bills supported by pls were passed this session. The first eliminates probation and parole fees, which will help alleviate an unnecessary financial burden on formerly incarcerated people who are reentering society. These fees impact tens of thousands of people, disproportionately people of color, in Massachusetts annually. The second involves voting rights and was originally drafted by the african american coalition committee at mci-norfolk. Portions of this bill were passed by the legislature as part of a larger omnibus bill called the votes act. The included provisions will ensure that all incarcerated people who are eligible to vote have meaningful access to the ballot box. Governor baker has signed the votes act into law and the jail-based voting provisions will come into effect in january 2023. The third bill was related to mental health watch. While the bill itself stalled in the health care and finance committee, we were able to get more narrow reform included in the omnibus mental health bill and allows people who have been on mental health watch for 72 hours or more to petition a court for transfer to a department of mental health facility or bridgewater state hospital. The fourth bill, related to decarceration.