Concord Journal (4/17/08)

Commissioner shares his vision of prisons

On Wed. April 9^th, over 125 citizens from in and around Concord heard  Harold C. Clarke, the new Commissioner of the Department of Correction (DOC), describe his vision for prisons in Mass. Clarke, who was formerly the head of Nebraska’s DOC and later a leader in Washington state, said high numbers of people are in our prisons because they are “not prepared to access the legitimate economy”. They are, he said, serving “crimes of economics” since over a third read below the 6^th grade level, and over a half are below the 6^th grade level in math.  He noted that while 80% are serving for drug law offenses, these crimes are perpetuated by those of us who are “recreational” users, and incidentally lead to the addiction of child field workers in Bolivia and Columbia to serve our appetites.

Clarke noted, “The DOC is one of the largest consumers of the state’s resources--$542M  in the past year” and rising, as inmates in prison rise each year. With the state’s financial resources limited, the waiting list for educational and reentry training programs runs into the hundreds, with no money to expand these programs.  With funds, he would like to copy the Nebraska program where inmates in pre-release programs (like that at the Concord Farm) were placed in jobs where they could continue working after release. Locally, this does not often happen. His earlier staff also accompanied men on job interviews. Tellingly, Nebraska has an 18% return to prison (recidivism) rate, compared to the 40-60% rate in Mass.

Commissioner Clarke wants to see the DOC, , become proactive instead of reacting to crises: while he believes that violent offenders need to be secured so they don’t disrupt the general prison population, he also looks to create residential treatment units for mentally ill inmates, a behavioral treatment unit, and step-down programs where inmates work progressively towards work release programs as they approach the end of their sentence. He spoke, for instance, of the success in Nebraska of P.I.E., the Prison Industries Enhancement program in which inmates worked for private companies while inside the prison system, earning minimum or prevailing wages, sending money home for their families’ support, and becoming steady, respected workers.

In response to a question about his priorities, Clarke urged revision of the Mandatory Minimum laws which, while well-intended, presently keep non-violent inmates from gaining parole despite good behavior, and from access to the educational and emotional support programs which could help them develop better work skills and, incidentally, reduce the need for more prison cells.  He urged citizens to contact the DOC and their legislators about these needed changes. Commissioner Clarke concluded by urging a shared vision for change, which would include all the stake-holders—the public, the DOC and corrections officers, the families of inmates, and the legislature. His views were met with enthusiastic applause by those present. Concord Prison Outreach presented this program and Tri Con Church hosted it; the LWV, the Human Rights Council and many Concord churches also sponsored it.