Massachusetts Correctional Legal Services

SEE SCHEDULE O

PLS HANDLES APPROXIMATELY 2,000 BRIEF SERVICES MATTERS ANNUALLY AND WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 22 CASES ON OUR 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. CASES: PLS SETTLED A CASE ON BEHALF OF A MAN WHO WAS SUBJECTED TO EXCESSIVE FORCE BY A CORRECTIONS OFFICER. WE ALSO FILED A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT ON BEHALF OF PRISONERS WHO ARE SUBJECT TO UNSAFE CONDITIONS MAKING THEM MORE VULNERABLE TO CONTRACTING COVID AND DYING FROM IT. WE ALSO WERE SUCESSFUL IN OBTAINING A MEDICAL PLACEMENT OUTSIDE OF PRISON FOR A QUADRIPLEGIC CLIENT PURSUANT TO LITIGATION. WE HAVE ALSO BEEN PREPARING A MAJOR CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT ON BEHALF OF MULTIPLE PEOPLE WHO WERE SUBJECTED TO EXTREME AND EXCESSIVE FORCE AT THE MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISON. PLS, AS PART OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM ACT OF 2018, WAS APPOINTED TO TWO LEGISLATIVE COMMISSIONS: ONE ON THE USE OF SOLITARY CONFINEMENT AND THE OTHER ON THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF LGBTQI PRISONERS. OUR INVOLVEMENT IN BOTH OF THESE COMMISSIONS HAS LED TO ADDITIONAL REFORMS AND COMMITMENTS TO FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS ACROSS THE CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM. DUE TO OUR STRONG COMMUNITY AND LEGISLATIVE RELATIONSHIPS, WE WERE ALSO NAMED TO 3 ADDITIONAL COMMISSIONS THAT WERE ESTABLISHED THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE'S POLICING REFORM BILL PASSED IN 2020. THOSE INVOLVE STRUCTURAL RACISM IN CORRECTIONS AND PAROLE AND EXCESSIVE USE OF FORCE. IN ADDITION, WE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN PASSING BUDGET LANGUAGE ESTABLISHING A PUBLIC HEALTH OMBUDSMANS OFFICE TO REVIEW COVID AND PUBLIC HEALTH PROTOCOLS IN THE DOC, INCLUDING RELEASES. THE OMBUDSMAN'S OFFICE WAS ESTABLISHED THIS FALL.

PLS HANDLES APPROXIMATELY 2,000 BRIEF SERVICES MATTERS ANNUALLY AND WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 22 CASES ON OUR 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. CASES: PLS SETTLED A CASE ON BEHALF OF A MAN WHO WAS SUBJECTED TO EXCESSIVE FORCE BY A CORRECTIONS OFFICER. WE ALSO FILED A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT ON BEHALF OF PRISONERS WHO ARE SUBJECT TO UNSAFE CONDITIONS MAKING THEM MORE VULNERABLE TO CONTRACTING COVID AND DYING FROM IT. WE ALSO WERE SUCESSFUL IN OBTAINING A MEDICAL PLACEMENT OUTSIDE OF PRISON FOR A QUADRIPLEGIC CLIENT PURSUANT TO LITIGATION. WE HAVE ALSO BEEN PREPARING A MAJOR CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT ON BEHALF OF MULTIPLE PEOPLE WHO WERE SUBJECTED TO EXTREME AND EXCESSIVE FORCE AT THE MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISON. PLS, AS PART OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM ACT OF 2018, WAS APPOINTED TO TWO LEGISLATIVE COMMISSIONS: ONE ON THE USE OF SOLITARY CONFINEMENT AND THE OTHER ON THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF LGBTQI PRISONERS. OUR INVOLVEMENT IN BOTH OF THESE COMMISSIONS HAS LED TO ADDITIONAL REFORMS AND COMMITMENTS TO FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS ACROSS THE CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM. DUE TO OUR STRONG COMMUNITY AND LEGISLATIVE RELATIONSHIPS, WE WERE ALSO NAMED TO 3 ADDITIONAL COMMISSIONS THAT WERE ESTABLISHED THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE'S POLICING REFORM BILL PASSED IN 2020. THOSE INVOLVE STRUCTURAL RACISM IN CORRECTIONS AND PAROLE AND EXCESSIVE USE OF FORCE. IN ADDITION, WE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN PASSING BUDGET LANGUAGE ESTABLISHING A PUBLIC HEALTH OMBUDSMANS OFFICE TO REVIEW COVID AND PUBLIC HEALTH PROTOCOLS IN THE DOC, INCLUDING RELEASES. THE OMBUDSMAN'S OFFICE WAS ESTABLISHED THIS FALL.