By Donna Winant For the past seven months there was no chaplain at Bridgewater State Hospital (BSH). Before that, there was a short-term chaplain. And previous to that, for months and months, there was no chaplain. Family members pushed and pushed and gave suggestions for temporary solutions. This was ignored until advocate voices became louder… Continue reading A Lack of Chaplain Services at Bridgewater State Hospital
By M. I spent the last six and half years incarcerated. The first two years were spent at Bridgewater State Hospital (BSH). The later years at a county house of corrections. I always felt like I was living someone else's life, that I was in this nightmare and I could not wake up. At first… Continue reading Reflections on Incarceration and Release
Advocates and families clash with pro-status quo government forces to transfer the hospital out of the hands of the Department of Corrections by Summer Maxwell - Repost from Student Dispatch Boston - Stories Around Boston - Nov. 2, 2022 *Editor's note: This piece was written prior to the Massachusetts Elections. FFIMI hopes for positive action… Continue reading Bridgewater State Hospital in Hot Water Regarding Oversight
Reflections after first 6 months in prison - by Ben W. I feel just a real sense of security, maybe, like a strength of self and of purpose, when I reconnect with and talk to my friends from before prison. I always forget this, though. It's like, in this land of insanity, they can remind… Continue reading staying grounded…in the noise
Spectrum News 1, by Sloane Perron, Worcester County, 8/12/22 WEST BOYLSTON, Mass. - When Marcel Santos-Padgett first came to the Worcester County Jail & House of Corrections in April, he was addicted to marijuana and alcohol. Realizing that he wanted to change his ways for both himself and for his family, Santos-Padgett voluntarily signed up… Continue reading Worcester County Jail programming seeks to break cycle of generational incarceration
WBUR by Deborah Becker A new report found little has been done to correct problems at Bridgewater State Hospital, including the use of medications to chemically restrain patients. The Disability Law Center (DLC) found that the Massachusetts Department of Correction, which operates the facility, illegally used chemical and physical restraints on people in custody, lacks adequate services… Continue reading Little has been done to correct problems at Bridgewater State Hospital, report finds
Treatment Advocacy Center - Research Weekly Publication by Morré Taylor; Photo by Khashayar Kouchpeydeh By Morré Taylor (August 10, 2022) People with serious mental illness have a long history of being highly engaged in the criminal justice system, as at least 40% of individuals with serious mental illness have been in jail or prison during their… Continue reading Challenging Solitary Confinement for People with Serious Mental Illness
Disability Law Center Again Calls for Bridgewater State Hospital Reform on the Basis of Serious Concerns About Facility Conditions and Rights Violations – Disability Law Center (dlc-ma.org) In 2017 the Disability Law Center (DLC) met with Governor Charlie Baker and urged him to allocate funding to provide more comprehensive medical and psychiatric care at Bridgewater… Continue reading Bridgewater State Hospital – Serious Concerns About Facility Conditions and Rights Violations Persist
Reposted from WGBH, By Sarah Betancourt, July 22, 2022 As Massachusetts heads into a weekend of sweltering temperatures, prison advocates worry that the more than 13,000 people incarcerated in the state’s prisons and county jails are especially in danger of heat-related illnesses. Massachusetts’ jails and prisons often don't have air conditioning. Many incarcerated people are medically… Continue reading The heat wave feels even hotter if you’re in prison. Mass.’s solution of ice and fans offers little relief.
Brian Stettin, longtime policy directory of Treatment Advocacy Center, states: " The question lingering in the back of the mind of any advocate is always: Am I making a difference? When the wrong to be righted is deep-seated, complex and decades in the making, there will inevitably be grist for discouragement. But we must never discount the… Continue reading Treatment Advocacy Center’s Brian Stettin Bids Farewell
Family and Friends of Individuals with Mental Illness ~ Advocating for those who are Justice Involved 