Massachusetts is trying to build a $50 million women’s prison. Incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women oppose this project and want to implement alternatives instead.

Families for Justice as Healing, The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls and our supporters are fighting to release women from incarceration and reinvest in what women and communities need to thrive.

A key strategy to stop the $50 million women’s prison is passing the Jail and Prison Construction Moratorium - a five year pause on major construction projects. The Prison Moratorium would not stop essential repairs. Read below for ways to support the Prison Moratorium and other policies to reduce the incarceration of women and girls.

Get involved with the FreeHer Campaign: bit.ly/nonewprisonvolunteer

And take action today…

#NoNewWomensPrison ACTION GUIDE

1.  Call Committee Chairman Nick Collins if he is your Senator
2.  Sign the petition to tell Sheriffs and your legislators to resource communities, not carceral construction projects
3. Tell your legislators to Pass the Prison Moratorium again this session
4. Tell the Senate President to Pass the Prison Moratorium
5. Watch our film screening about the Prison Moratorium
6. Learn about our Policy Priorities
7. Prison Moratorium Info Sheet
8. Elder Parole Info Sheet

Call Committee Chairman Nick Collins if he is your Senator

THE DEADLINE WAS EXTENDED TO GET THE PRISON MORATORIUM VOTED OUT OF THE STATE ADMIN COMMITTEE!

We’re asking constituents of State Administration and Regulatory Oversight Committee Chairman Nick Collins to please call him and ask him to advance the Prison Moratorium!

Senate Chair Nick Collins

(617) 722-1150

Nick.Collins@masenate.gov 

Call Script: “Hi my name is __________________ and I’m your constituent. I’m calling to ask you to please report out the Prison Moratorium favorably out of your committee. This bill is one of my top priorities. We should pause jail and prison construction for five years so we can focus on further reducing the incarcerated population and implementing alternatives. Both chambers passed this bill last session. I urge you to report this bill out of committee favorably as soon as possible.”

Email Script:

Dear Chairman Collins,

I’m your constituent. I’m writing to ask you to please report out the Prison Moratorium favorably out of your committee. This is an essential piece of legislation to pause new jail and prison construction for 5 years so we can focus on further reducing the incarcerated population and implementing alternatives. The bill is supported by incarcerated people and community members like me in your district. Chairman Cabral’s office is currently considering language that would further clarify that the Prison Moratorium will not prevent needed repairs to jails or prisons. MA has the lowest incarceration rate in the country. Now is not the time to build more jail or prison cells. I urge you to report this bill out of committee favorably as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

(NAME)

Sign the petition to tell Sheriffs and your legislators to resource communities, not carceral construction projects

Reject the Sheriffs Association's position that the best way to meet our communities’ needs, and alleviate homelessness and mental health issues is more incarceration!

Sign the petition here: tinyurl.com/MassJails and share it with your network!

This petition supports the passage of the Jail and Prison Construction Moratorium (S1979) again this session as soon as possible.

Tell your legislators to Pass the Prison Moratorium AGAIN this session

We only have a few months left of this legislative session and we MUST pass the Prison Moratorium! Last session, the legislature passed the bill but Baker vetoed it. Let’s get this bill to Governor Healey’s desk and make sure she signs in.

We’re asking you to tell your legislators to share their support with Chairman Cabral, who has the bill in his committee and the leadership of their chamber.

Look up your legislators and call and email them today: https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator

Call Script: “Hi my name is __________________ and I’m your constituent. I’m calling to ask you to do everything you can to make sure the Prison Moratorium passes again this session. Women incarcerated in Framingham testified in support of this bill, and Governor Healey has indicated her support. The bill would pause new prison construction but would not prevent repairs. We know the incarcerated population in Massachusetts is decreasing and it’s time to close old prisons, not build new ones. We can invest in alternatives to incarceration and what communities need instead of prison construction. I hope you will express your support for the Prison Moratorium to Chairman Cabral of the State Administration and Regulatory Oversight Committee and leadership. Thank you.”

Email Script:

Dear ______________,

I’m your constituent and I’m writing because I support the Prison Moratorium and I want you to ensure the bill gets passed into law this session. Incarcerated women fully support the Prison Moratorium. Please listen to incarcerated women talk about what they need instead of a $50 million women’s prison: bit.ly/FraminghamTestimony.

The bill would pause new prison construction but would not prevent repairs. We know the incarcerated population in Massachusetts is decreasing and it’s time to close old prisons, not build new ones. We can invest in alternatives to incarceration and what communities need instead of prison construction.  I hope you will express your support for the Prison Moratorium to Chairman Cabral of the State Administration and Regulatory Oversight Committee and leadership. Thank you.

With appreciation,

(NAME)

Tell the Senate President to Pass the Prison Moratorium

The Senate President is a key decision maker, and we have to keep the pressure on! We think it’s especially important to remind the Senate President that our sisters inside Framingham do not want a new women’s prison and want the legislature to pass the Prison Moratorium ASAP!

Send her an email here by adding any information you want to our template.

Watch our Film Screening and Discussion

See highlights from incarcerated women testifying about the Prison Moratorium and our team talk about our work to stop the new women’s prison and create what different looks like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qLp3EFAaUo 

Check out our policy priorities!

• Jail and Prison Construction Moratorium (S1979/H1795): creates a 5 year pause on jail and prison construction and expansion so we can focus on releasing people and resourcing communities. The Moratorium does not prevent essential repairs.
• An Act Relative to Diversion for Primary Caretakers (S1049): creates a path to pre-trial diversion from conviction and incarceration for pregnant people and primary caretakers of children and sick or aging family members. This is an expansion of the Primary Caretakers alternative sentencing law we passed in 2018, written by formerly incarcerated moms and fought for by daughters of incarcerated parents
• An Act Establishing Parole Review for Aging Incarcerated People (S1547/H2397): gives incarcerated people who are older than 55 and have served at least half of their sentence or at least 15 years the opportunity to see the parole board, regardless of transgression. The state is trying to build a new women's prison on the backs of the women who are serving life, many of whom are in their 50s, 60s, and 70s. This policy would create another needed pathway home for the grandmothers and all aging people in the DOC.
• Drug Decriminalization and Sex Work Decriminalization: We must stop arresting, prosecuting, and incarcerating people for drugs and sex work. Entanglement in the criminal legal system only causes further harm and destabilization - including higher likelihood of overdose. Decriminalizing drugs is a step towards addressing the hyper-racism of the system fueled by the ongoing War on Drugs. Instead, we should invest in and expand access to consensual treatment, housing, and other resources people need to thrive.

Jail and Prison Construction Moratorium Info Sheet

PLEASE CO-SPONSOR THE JAIL AND PRISON CONSTRUCTION MORATORIUM (S.1979/H.1795) AND WORK TO PASS IT IMMEDIATELY. Co-sponsor Primary Caretakers Diversion (S.1049) & Parole Review for Aging Incarcerated People (H.2397/S.1547) - policies that will help eliminate the need for any women’s prison in Massachusetts.

PURPOSE OF THE PRISON MORATORIUM  

The Prison Moratorium will create a 5 year pause on major jail and prison construction and expansion so we can focus on further reducing the number of people in prison, implementing alternatives, and investing in communities. The bill will not prevent essential repairs.

BACKGROUND

MA is planning to build a $50 million women’s prison. Incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women oppose this project, and want elected officials to use their power to release women and resource communities rather than build jails and prisons. This includes decriminalization of drugs and sex work, diversion, community-based sentencing, parole, expanding medical parole, establishing elder parole, and clemency.

MA has the lowest rate of incarceration in the United States. From 2014-2019, the incarcerated population in MA decreased by more than 20%. During that same time, spending on jails and prisons increased by 18%. It currently costs $235,000 per year to incarcerate one woman in Framingham. We invest $1.7 billion of public resources every year in a system that only causes further harm. Now is the moment to create what different looks like and make MA a model for the rest of the country. We must start by passing the Prison Moratorium, maximizing pathways to release, and investing in what communities need to thrive: housing, healing, treatment, transportation, education, childcare, and economic development.

WOMEN IN FRAMINGHAM

 200 women are incarcerated at Framingham. About 20% are pre-trial detainees from Middlesex County, many held on bail they can’t afford. Incarcerated women are overwhelmingly survivors of violence and trauma. The vast majority of women in MCI-Framingham are mothers separated from their children. There are 7 women in their 70s and 10 women in their 60s in Framingham. Women are suffering from a range of significant illnesses and receiving inadequate healthcare from Wellpath. Women express a need for mental health care and treatment that cannot happen inside prison. Incarcerated women have hopes, plans, and so much to give. Women deserve better than prison.

THE FALSE PROMISE OF PRISON CONSTRUCTION

It is possible to close MCI-Framingham without rebuilding or replacing it, if we focus on pathways to release, alternatives to incarceration, and reinvesting in communities. Formerly incarcerated women are clear: there is no such thing as a safe or trauma-informed prison.  DOC was cited by the Department of Justice for failure to provide adequate mental healthcare and conditions that violate the 8th amendment of the Constitution. DOC has failed to implement many changes required by the Criminal Justice Reform Act of 2018. A 2022 Prisoners’ Legal Services report documents incarcerated women’s experiences of rampant sexual abuse, violence, and dehumanization. A different building does not change the culture of DOC. A prime example of that is Souza-Baronowski. When it was newly built, Souza was touted as state of the art, yet is now the site of some of the worst abuses by DOC.

Families for Justice as Healing and The National Council conducted years of participatory research with formerly incarcerated women about what they needed and dreamed about for their families and communities. Not a single woman said a new prison. The question in MA is not “do we want an old women’s prison or a new women’s prison” the question is “what else is possible beyond prison?”

REIMAGINING COMMUNITIES NOT PRISONS

Healthy thriving people create healthy thriving communities. Families for Justice as Healing and The National Council lead organizing called Reimagining Communities to create what different looks like including a hydroponic farm in Roxbury for residents to grow fresh food, a community pantry, a Guaranteed Basic Income project for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women, a Guaranteed Basic Housing program, transformative justice work, community-led crisis response, Participatory Defense, and implementing Participatory Budgeting in Boston. This community-led infrastructure allows healing to happen and helps stop the flow of people into incarceration.

Formerly incarcerated people lead projects all across the Commonwealth to meet people’s needs, create healing and accountability, interrupt cycles of violence, and address the economic devastation caused by incarceration. Directly impacted people are implementing fresh ideas and approaches. MA needs to invest in these solutions - not more incarceration.

Elder Parole Info Sheet

SUPPORT ELDER PAROLE LEGISLATION. Releasing aging people in prison who have already served long sentences is an urgent matter of racial and gender justice. This policy will allow us to reinvest taxpayer money and help eliminate the need for new prison construction.

PURPOSE OF ELDER PAROLE   

An Act relative to Parole Review for Aging Incarcerated People will make people ages 55 and older eligible to see the Parole Board after they have served half of their sentence or at least 15 years, regardless of transgression. The bill would require the parole board to consider the impact of long-term incarceration on elders but would not guarantee an individual’s release.

WHY AGE 55?

Aging accelerates in prison due to harsh conditions; the psychological trauma of incarceration; and inadequate medical and mental health care. Incarcerated people are generally considered “geriatric” at 55 and experience significantly worse health outcomes than people outside of prison^[1].

POLICY BENEFITS

Passing S1547/H2397 will further reduce mass incarceration, reunite families, address significant racial disparities in sentencing and public health outcomes, promote dignity and wellbeing, and save the Commonwealth substantial resources to reinvest in communities.

BACKGROUND

Despite MA having the lowest rate of incarceration in the country, people are serving brutally long sentences in our state. Shamefully, MA is tied with Louisiana for the highest proportion of incarcerated people serving life without parole in the United States^[2]. Sentencing in MA is profoundly biased - Black people are serving LWOP sentences at 9 times the rate of white people^[3].

Due to the disproportionate number of life and long sentences in MA, we have one of the oldest prison populations in the US which worsens racial disparities in life expectancies. More than 800 people incarcerated in the DOC are older than 60 — 15% of the prison population. Many elders were prosecuted and convicted in the 1960s-90s when discrimination in policing and sentencing were even more severe than they are today. Incarceration of elders is a worsening humanitarian and fiscal crisis in MA, and we must maximize pathways home for the oldest people in the DOC.

ELDERS IN THE DOC

Incarcerated elders are parents, grandparents, and beloved community members who deserve dignity and second chances. DOC is unwilling and unable to provide adequate care for incarcerated people, especially older people who are more vulnerable to chronic, degenerative, debilitating, and terminal conditions. Additionally, aging incarcerated people report experiencing falls, medical neglect, cognitive decline including dementia, incontinence, unmanaged pain, abuse by guards, and DOC denying essential medical equipment and mobility aids.

Incarcerating people for decades into their 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s has no public safety benefit and is a strain on our state’s resources. Older people are the least likely group of people to cause further harm and return to prison. In fact, multiple long-term studies confirm that people released on parole who were convicted of homicide are the least likely to commit new transgressions of any group^[4]. People sentenced to LWOP in MA have already served an average of 21 years. We must take this opportunity to address the suffering of elders in the DOC and pass compassionate, fiscally sound policy.

COST SAVINGS OF RELEASING AGING PEOPLE

While people age out of committing transgressions, the cost of incarceration only increases as people get older. The Commonwealth spends at least $70 million a year incarcerating people who are older than 60, not including additional healthcare costs. Spending tens of millions of dollars annually to imprison elderly people who are not a risk to public safety is an affront to the welfare of our state. We should pursue practical decarceration and invest tax dollars in elder care and community-based programs - not death by incarceration.

ELDER PAROLE TO PREVENT THE NEW WOMEN’S PRISON

MA is currently designing a $50 million prison for less than 200 women in MCI-Framingham. Thirty-two of those women are older than 55^[5]. There are 10 women serving LWOP who are older than 55, and they have served an average of 24 years already. Passing Elder Parole is one of many solutions to meaningfully decarcerate women from Framingham - including grandmothers who desperately need dignified physical and mental health care that they will never get in the DOC. We must not build a new prison before we have explored every doorway home for women - including the seven women in their 70s at Framingham. Let’s reinvest those resources into what will create real safety and wellbeing in our state: elder care, housing, healthcare, drug treatment, and more.