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| Panel: Prison Management Must Be Strengthened |
| By WCVB |
| Published: 07/02/2004 |
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A commission appointed by Gov. Mitt Romney to review the Department of Corrections released its findings last Wednesday after eight months of work. NewsCenter 5's Jorge Quiroga reported that the Department of Corrections has been under scrutiny since the prison murder of a pedophile priest last summer. It all began with the brutal death of former priest and convicted sex offender John Geoghan, who was housed at the state's super max Souza-Baranowski Correction Center in Shirley last August. Inmate Joseph Druce was charged with Geoghan's murder. With a wrongful death suit by Geoghan's sister pending and the prison as backdrop, Romney said the tragedy triggered deep soul searching. The in-depth look came in the form of a thorough, top-to-bottom review of the department by a special commission headed by former Massachusetts Attorney General John Harshbarger. The commission had several recommendations, including making inmates' preparation for release back into the community a top priority. The panel said the department should enhance inmate programs to reduce the likelihood of re-offending, and ensure that inmate classification and grievance policies are clear with the ultimate goal of reducing recidivism. The commission also recommended freeing up precious dollars through tighter workforce accountability. Correction officers now average nearly 18 paid sick days a year, adding up to $21 million. So now, with the easy part done, the hard challenge of refocusing the prison system to include real rehabilitation without additional funds begins. |
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