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State prison plans: mental therapy or torture?
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Somerville jail expansion discussed
June 19— Community activists and neighbors are asking, “Is One Coming to Our City Soon?”
Middlesex County Sheriff James DiPaolo’s has called for the immediate construction of 600 new jail cells. He is interested in putting at least some of those in Somerville.
Monday’s meeting at College Avenue Methodist Church was called in response to DiPaolo's bid, part of what organizers call the punishment industry's building boom.
Prison activists from the Springfield area, including ex-prisoners and people with family members in prisons, joined Somerville residents to share experiences and debate strategy.
Jack Cole, a Medford resident, former cop and member of L.E.A.P. (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition) spoke at length about growing opposition to the "War on Drugs" among cops.
Another scheduled speaker was Palak Shah, editor of Defending Justice, a resource guide published by Somerville's Political Research Associates.
The participants watched the Amnesty International video, "Rights for All."
Sheriff Di Paolo recently declared a public safety crisis, which he attributed to jail “overcrowding.”
He says half the new cells are to be for temporary beds while the Middlesex Courthouse in East Cambridge is closed down for asbestos removal. But he has acknowledged that these temporary beds may remain in use after the renovation. The other 300 cells will definitely be permanent.
For the Statewide Harm Reduction Coalition (SHARC) this raises more questions than it answers. What causes prison overcrowding? How is the community affected by jail expansion? Who decides whether to build or not?
SHARC members described grassroots organizing against the new Chicopee Women's Jail and the current “building boom” in corrections.
They asked whether the sheriff planned to rent space to Homeland Security’s ICE division to detain immigrants. The Feds are already spending billions to build and lease immigrant detention facilities.
Who goes to jail? What happens inside? How could our money be better spent? Is it a good idea to build more cages in order for the Somerville police to have an environmentally safe workplace?
“Prison issues are of great interest to everyone,” says SHARC, “because they affect so many groups: our youth, the poor and people of color, women, and folks with substance abuse problems, newcomers, former prisoners, teachers and parents.”
For more information call (617) 776-6624.