Prisoners' Legal Services of Massachusetts

We are proud to share that PLS Senior Staff Attorney David Milton and PLS Board Member Kayla Ghantous were named Lawyers of the Year by @Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly.

Titicut Follies (1967) documents daily life of staff and patients at what is now Bridgewater State Hospital. Its stark portrayal of inhumane treatment prompted a ban after release. On March 24, PLS will host a free screening, followed by a brief presentation by Disability Law Center: plsma.org/film

Disability Law Center has released a new publication outlining critical concerns from DLC's monitoring and investigative activities at BSH since 2014. Read the report here: bit.ly/DLCReport26

Titicut Follies Screening Join us for a free screening of Titicut Follies at Coolidge Corner Theater!

On 3/4/26, PLS and Disability Law Center are hosting a free screening of Titicut Follies at Coolidge Corner Theater. This formerly banned 1967 film is a stark portrayal of the conditions and treatment within the State Prison for the Criminally Insane at Bridgewater, MA. Register at plsma.org/film

Inside ICE’s Only Contract with a Blue State As part of a 287(g) contract between state officials and ICE, Massachusetts continues to release prisoners into deportation—even as state lawmakers look to ban other forms of ICE collaboration.

Many state officials voice opposition to federal immigration malfeasance, yet defend cooperation with ICE. Since 2007, MA DOC has sent people from prison directly into ICE custody through the 287(g) program. We need to end this program now.
boltsmag.org/massachusett...

Taking 30 seconds to contact your legislator can make a major difference in the lives of incarcerated people and their loved ones: plsma.org/takeaction

Visitation is crucial for maintaining outside connection and ensuring successful reentry. At a recent hearing, Jeremiah shared how he has been impacted by poor visitation policies and practices. This is why it was identified as a priority issue for our Platform. Please act now: plsma.org/takeaction

Lawyers suggest more ways Healey can limit ICE activity The discussion comes as state lawmakers weigh a bill from Gov. Maura Healey to block immigration arrests in courthouses, schools and hospitals.

Small steps are being taken to curb ICE activity in MA, but there is more to be done. Right now, people are being funneled into a deportation machine where they do not receive due process and are subjected to horrid conditions that have been well-documented for years.
www.wgbh.org/news/politic...

The Dignity and Freedom Platform, a set of urgent, common-sense carceral reforms endorsed by over 50 organizations, needs your support. Taking 30 seconds to act could make a real difference for 1000s of incarcerated people and their families, and benefit everyone in the state: plsma.org/takeaction

We asked 160+ incarcerated people what reforms matter most. They told us: meaningful pathways to release, humane conditions, and stronger connections to family. We brought this platform to the State House, and now the bills are moving forward. Help keep the momentum going. plsma.org/takeaction

Parole In Massachusetts: Ignored, Misunderstood, And Misrepresented How executive indifference, an overburdened board, and a sensationalist media are failing the promise of parole in the commonwealth

A new investigation from BINJ News explores how Massachusetts is failing people seeking parole due to public misunderstanding, sensationalist media coverage, and an overburdened Parole Board.
binj.news/2026/01/21/p...

PLS has been awarded @candiddotorg.bsky.social's Platinum Seal for our exceptional transparency and accountability regarding our mission, strategies, goals, impact, finances, and leadership. Check out our website to learn more about what your donations help us accomplish.
plsma.org

On 1/28, the Equal Justice Coalition is hosting its annual Walk to the Hill to urge legislators to support funding for civil legal aid. We hope you can join us! equaljusticecoalition.org/walk/?fbclid...

Massachusetts Could Be the Next State to Give Abuse Survivors a Pathway Out of Prison The Massachusetts Survivors Act emulates recent resentencing reforms across the country that allow for reduced sentences for people with convictions related to their abuse.

Incarcerated people, particularly women, are more likely to have experienced violence or abuse. The Survivors Act emulates recent resentencing reforms across the country that allow for reduced sentences for people with convictions related to their abuse. boltsmag.org/massachusett...

A report by PLS' Immigrant Detention Condition Project and BU Law's Immigrants’ Rights and Human Trafficking Program exposes a pattern of systemic abuse and mistreatment of immigrant detainees at Plymouth County Correctional Facility over the past 25 years. Learn more at: plsma.org/info

Former Mass. prisoners reflect on freedom after decades behind bars - The Boston Globe Massachusetts became the first state to ban life without parole for offenders convicted of crimes they committed when they were between ages 18 and 20.

Dirceu Semedo went to prison at 18. Over 30 years, he completed 70+ programs and talked to teens about avoiding his path. MA's Mattis decision gave him a chance at parole because no one should be defined forever by their worst day as a teenager.
www.bostonglobe.com/2026/01/06/m...

Martin Luther King's "Letter From Birmingham Jail" - Jack Miller Center Martin Luther King’s 1963 “Letter from Birmingham Jail” remains a classic document of the Civil Rights movement

63 years ago, Dr. King sat in a narrow jail cell in Birmingham, Alabama and wrote one of the most important documents of the Civil Rights Movement. His Letter from Birmingham Jail reminds us that "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." www.jackmillercenter.org/our-work/res...

Hiding in Plain Sight: How local jails obscure and facilitate mass deportation under Trump

Recent research from Prison Policy Initiative reveals the true scale of immigration detention is 45% larger than reported. The Trump administration helps enable and hide mass deportation by using local jails like Plymouth County Correctional Facility in MA. www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/jail...

This is How People Are Dying in America’s Prisons and Jails An analysis by The Marshall Project provides a window into what causes thousands of people to die in prisons and jails every year.

The last few months have been particularly deadly for incarcerated people in MA. In many instances, we still don't have basic answers about what happened. A new analysis from the Marshall Project shows this isn't unique to our state.
www.themarshallproject.org/2025/12/23/d...

Former Mass. prisoners reflect on freedom after decades behind bars - The Boston Globe Massachusetts became the first state to ban life without parole for offenders convicted of crimes they committed when they were between ages 18 and 20.

In 2024, MA's SJC ruled that people who committed crimes between ages 18 and 20 cannot be sentenced to life without parole. The decision recognized what science has long told us: young adults are still developing, and they deserve a chance to demonstrate change.
www.bostonglobe.com/2026/01/06/m...

Senator sounds alarm on Shacoby Kenny death, other fatalities in Mass. jails and prisons A man with mental health issues died after officers restrained him inside a Boston jail. A state senator wants answers about his death and others — as well as independent oversight of jails and…

Shacoby Kenny's death at the Suffolk County House of Correction wasn't due to a few "bad apples." Our carceral system's focus is punishment, not rehabilitation, and it actively harms people physically and psychologically every single day.
www.masslive.com/boston/2026/...

Two Mass. corrections officers accused of beating restrained inmate The restrained inmate was only identified as "E.M." in court records.

Two corrections officers are facing multiple felony charges for allegedly beating a restrained incarcerated person at SBCC in May 2023. This incident is part of a systemic pattern of unlawful use of force by officers at the facility.
www.wcvb.com/article/two-...

PLS' Executive Director Dave Rini recently joined Matthew Tottenham on his podcast, The W-Number, to discuss the crisis of deaths in custody and other systemic issues across MA's prisons and jails. You can view the full episode here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVoy...

Lifer's Group Inc. advocates for evidence-based systemic change in MA's carceral system. A report on the DOC's expenditures & staffing levels explores how the DOC's staffing and expenditures continue to grow but directly impacted people do not benefit. You can read the full report at: Lifersreport25

Please join PLS in advocating to push the House versions of our Dignity and Freedom Campaign bills out of Committee as originally drafted! Easily contact your House Representative to ask them to urge the Public Safety Committee Chair to advance the bills here: Plsma.org/takeaction

Protesters call for transparency following in-custody death of Shacoby Kenny Protesters call for transparency following in-custody death of Shacoby Kenny at South Bay jail

PLS' Brutality Team is investigating the recent death of Shacoby Kenny at the South Bay House of Correction due to the reported circumstances surrounding his death. Incarceration must not be a death sentence.
www.wgbh.org/news/local/2...

PLS' Executive Director Dave Rini recently joined Matthew Tottenham on his podcast, The W-Number, to discuss the crisis of deaths in custody and other systemic issues across MA's prisons and jails. You can view the full episode here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVoy...

PLS' Executive Director Dave Rini recently joined Matthew Tottenham on his podcast, The W-Number, to discuss the crisis of deaths in custody and other systemic issues across MA's prisons and jails. You can view the full episode here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVoy...

Hey, @afscme.bsky.social Local 419: why are you protecting these murderers? They are back at work *on the same unit* after brutally assaulting and killing a 32-year-old, mentally ill pretrial detainee who was held on $2500 bail last Sunday.

Say his name. Shacoby Kenny. #bospoli #ShutDownSouthBay