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Governing in Darkness – Part 3

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Pictured: Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll chairs her first Governor’s Council meeting at the State House on Feb. 8, 2023 | Image via Joshua Qualls/Governor’s Press Office

Just in time for the September 3rd primary-– know your Governor’s Council! In part 3, “Who are the Massachusetts governor’s councilors? What professional baggage do they bring to the body? And can this motley crew stumble toward reform?”

It begins:

“Though an obscure body, the Massachusetts Governor’s Council wields enormous constitutional power. The eight-member council, established in 1629, votes on judicial, Parole Board, and other court nominations from the governor. It also approves or disapproves her recommendations for pardons and commutations, most sanctioned by the Parole Board.

Since 1854, a seat on the Governor’s Council has been an elected position, but most residents have no idea who their councilor is. It’s common for incumbents to run unopposed, like in two of the eight districts in the current election cycle.

Critics who want to see the council abolished call it a rubber stamp for the governor. Among other observations, they note how councilors approved all but one of former Gov. Charlie Baker’s 350 nominees in an eight-year stretch, with only five people withdrawing their nominations when they realized they would not be approved. The People’s Parity Project (PPP), a coalition of law students and attorneys who want a more democratized legal system, have asked why councilors don’t scrutinize nominations more carefully.

During six months of research for this series, we have also heard from some stakeholders who claim the council can be salvaged. A number of them said that voters should impugn the current councilors and implore them to represent their constituents’ interests. Others put more weight into reforming council practices than into changing the cast of characters. And yet another faction wants to change representation, arguing that the way Massachusetts residents vote for councilors makes no sense. They point to how there has been only one person of color on the body in its 400-year history.  READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

You don’t need kids to have a stake in the future

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The Boston Globe today published my answer to JD Vance’s idiocy, You don’t need kids to have a stake in the future.” Its tagline is “I might not have cats, but I am childless by choice. That doesn’t make me selfish or shortsighted” Read here.

GRADING THE PAROLE BOARD

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My newest on the Massachusetts Parole Board on Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism It  asks “The Massachusetts Parole Board still faces big challenges despite making some improvements this past year. Its final member was approved this week, but is the body equipped to operate efficiently?”  MORE

Amazing article by Chris Faraone about MOTHERLOVE

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Please check out this incredible interview that my editor at Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism did with me here. Entitled, Prison journalist and writer Jean Trounstine explores unspoken pain around incarceration with new collection of short stories

It begins: “When it comes to writing about prison and parole, there are very few reporters who have as many sources among advocates or the incarcerated population as Jean Trounstine. I would know; as her editor at the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism for the past several years, I have been floored by her ability to unearth major scoops on the strength of those connections.

Jean is also an accomplished educator, activist, and author who has directed stage plays and published multiple books touching carceral topics, among them Shakespeare Behind Bars: The Power of Drama in a Women’s Prison. So with those noted contacts and that much experience, it surprised me to learn that she chose fiction as her next vehicle for impugning the US prison system and its “devastating impact on our communities in Massachusetts and beyond.”

The resulting work is Motherlove, in which Jean compassionately considers an ‘often-forgotten group—the mothers of children who kill, each struggling with the aftermath of murder.’ As she explains it, while fictional, each of the 10 characters is ‘drawn from her more than 30 years of experience with prisoners and their families.’” MORE

 

Why We Need More Parole Board Members

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Please share my newest for #Massachusetts on our #criminallegalsystem on Commonwealth/Beacon
“It’s a marathon to earn parole… To assure that those leaving prison have the best possible opportunity for success and to ensure safety for all, our Parole Board should not be limping along.” MORE