To: Governor Deval PatrickWe the Undersigned with grave concern and sense of urgency request Governor Deval Patrick to sign an Executive Order creating a permanent independent Oversight Commission for the Department of Corrections as proposed by House Bill 2240.
We believe that an Oversight Commission which would oversee the operations and activities of the Department of Corrections such as finances, public works, health, education, etc. This commission would perform an important role in gathering information on the functioning of the Department and ensuring, through their oversight of management officials, that corrupt practices do not take place. Furthermore, this commission can be an excellent starting point for the simplification of administrative procedures and would support your commitment to public transparency and governmental accountability. The Department of Corrections is housed under the Executive Office of Public Safety, with a budget of $549 million and responsible for the wellbeing of thousands of inmates including women and their families and directly linked to the safety of our communities.
We affirm that the Department of Corrections is too critical to operate without any independent oversight. As outlined by the 2004 Governor's Commission on Corrections Reform, chaired by Mr. Harshbarger detailing the need for corrections reform, we urgently need a body that can independently evaluate the Department of Corrections.
Most recently the following events are making our demand dire:
* October 9th, Department of Corrections Commissioner Clarke abruptly resigns;
* October 8th incident at MCI Norfolk where Brent Stevenson was assaulted, and subsequently hospitalizes, by a Corrections Officer;
* October 8, 2010 Attorney General Eric Holder announces $110 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 funding for the Second Chance Act reentry grants and the Justice Reinvestment Initiatives. MA is not one of the recipients;
* September 13th - The Boston Phoenix article Trouble Over Bridgewater describes one of MA Correctional Facilities as the Prison from Hell outlining documented abuses at Old Colony Correctional Center;
* July 16, 2010 national statistics show that MA suicides are occurring at a rate more than four times higher than the national average;
* The need for secure data management in order to prevent CORI leaks and to protect personal inmate and visitor information to ensure the safety of all; and
* In Massachusetts state prisons, recidivism statistics show a slight reduction in rates over the past few years. At the same time, though, admissions, custody levels, and overcrowding rates are on the rise. From 2004 to 2007, the criminally sentenced custody population at the Massachusetts Department of Correction (DOC) increased 10 percent, by 897 inmates.
It is our responsibility as a community to ensure the safety of our people both behind bars and on our streets. We request an emergency action meeting to discuss this request of you signing an Executive Order creating an independent Oversight Commission as proposed by House Bill 2240.Sincerely,
IMPORTANT LINKSHouse Bill 2240: See Attachment.Massachusetts Department of Corrections Commissioner Harold Clarke is leaving the state
http://thephoenix.com/BLOGS/phlog/archive/2010/10/09/massachusetts-department-of-corrections-commissioner-harold-clarke-is-leaving-the-state.aspxTroubled Over Bridgewater
Old Colony Correctional Center has been plagued by suicide, overcrowding, and brutality — and things are only getting worse
Read more: http://thephoenix.com/Boston/news/108081-troubled-over-bridgewater/#ixzz12M2DKAr3
http://thephoenix.com/boston/news/108081-troubled-over-bridgewater/Harold Clarke
Troubled state prison system losing chief
http://bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1287875The reform-proof prison
Why Massachusetts' correctional system hasn't gotten any better. Read more: http://thephoenix.com/Boston/news/108112-reform-proof-prison/#ixzz12M2T2HWn
http://thephoenix.com/Boston/news/108112-reform-proof-prison/Katheleen Dennehy
Prison Boss claims target of union harassment & threats
http://www.masscops.com/f30/prison-boss-claims-shes-target-union-harassment-threats-6835/Scott Harshbarger Report
http://www.prisoncommission.org/supplements/harshbarger_1.pdf
The Family of Dr. Joseph Warren President Joseph E. Aoun
On Sunday, October 24th at 4:00 pm, we will host a memorial service to celebrate and honor the
Dr. Warren was a gifted scholar and leader who dedicated his life to enhancing the lives of others at
SOMPATT 2010
Highlighting Educational and Cultural Trends
in the African Diaspora
Academic Forum
Theme
Challenges and Advances in Higher Education in
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Cheikh Tidiane Gadio,
Former Foreign Affairs Minister of
Saturday 23, October 2010 –
Room 101
Sponsored by
CONTACTS:
sompattfestival@gmail.com Tel:
BU
BOARD OF APPEAL HEARINGS
BOARD FINAL ARBITER:
BZC-27310 154 M Street, Ward 6 Kathleen & Joseph Arlauskas
BZC-30475 66 Baxter Street, Ward 6 John Arlauskas
RE-DISCUSSION:
BZC-30723 5 Beale Street, Ward 16 Ted Ahern
BUILDING CODE:
#
HEARINGS:
BZC-30719 78-82 Orlean Street, Ward 1 JEM Realty Trust (by Eric Marberblatt, Trustee)
BZC-30734 87 Morris Street, Ward 1
BZC-30761 156 Porter Street, Ward 1 Kimberly Luciani & Dwan Dube
BZC-30830 314-316
BZC-30758 234-238
BZC-30786 35 Dwight Street, Ward 3 Howard Lau et al
BZC-30735 675-675A
BZC-30728 516-526
BZC-30729 455-457 East First Street, Ward 6 Second Street Associates, LLC
BZC-30730 2-12
BZC-30736 361 West Fourth Street, Ward 6 Stephen Pitrowski (by Jason Dixey)
BZC-30737 433 East Third Street, Ward 6 Kevin Horan (by Jason Dixey)
BZC-30752 115 B Street, Ward 6 Michael Gannon
BZC-30766 7 Douglas Street, Ward 7 Dragos & Jill Life (by Thomas McGrath)
BZC-30739 205-211
BZC-30740 223-229A
BZC-30770 374 Arborway, Ward 11 Lisa Kessler (by Michael Shodahl)
BZC-30731 53
HEARINGS:
BZC-30699 1906-1918
BZC-30765 42-44 Beach Street, Ward 16 Dung Tien Ngo (by Mikhail Deychman)
BZC-30686 17 Bradlee Street, Ward 17 Clear Wireless LLC
BZC-30687 12 Algonquin Street, Ward 17 Clear Wireless LLC
BZC-30688 19 Bradlee Street, Ward 17 Clear Wireless LLC
BZC-30679 9
BZC-30700 40
BZC-30710 622 South Street, Ward 19 Julia Brant
BZC-30764 235 Manthorne Road, Ward 20 John Mcintosh
BZC-30769 79 Parsons Street, Ward 22 Steve & Libby Hanna (by Sandro A. Carella)
RE-DISCUSSION:
BZC-30597 6 Brooks Street, Ward 1 Generoso Cirulo (by Alvaro Lucena)
BZC-30591 409 Beacon Street, Ward 5 Beacon 409 Property Associates
BZC-30580 262-270A
BZC-39574 207
BZC-30555 225-227 Westville Street, Ward 15 Elizabeth Banguar
BZC-30562 1675
BZC-30763 52 Shepton Street, Ward 16 Paulo DeBarros (by Carlos Monteiro)
BZC-30563 80 Johnswood Road, Ward 19 Chris Abbuhl & Jeffrey Allen
BZC-30567 11 Sparhawk Street, Ward 22 Patrick McKenna
BZC-30568 11A-11C
RE-DISCUSSION: INTERPRETATION: 12:00noon
BZC-30672 49 Louders Lane, Ward 19 Peter Welsh, Fern Schlang & Ruth Allukian
BOARD MEMBERS:
CHRISTINE ARAUJO- SECRETARY
ANGELO BUONOPANE
PETER CHIN
BRUCE BICKERSTAFF
MICHAEL MONAHAN
ANTHONY PISANI
ROBERT SHORTSLEEVE-CHAIRMAN
What does health reform mean for
Our own home-grown health reform has served as the model for the federal Accountable Care Act. Are we a good model? Will we have to change and is that a good thing? Join
Take part in this stimulating dialogue and informational -- on a subject that is only going to grow bigger in our lives as federal health reform requirements kick into gear -- with fellow health and human service providers, advocates and community members, elected and governmental officials and business folk.
To get more information or RSVP, please contact me by Thursday, October 21 and, of course, feel free to send this announcement on to others!
Josh
Joshua A.S. Young, II
Director, Legislative Affairs
Deputy Director, Community Coordination
ABCD, Inc.
Office: 1 (617) 348 - 6553
Cell: 1 (617) 877 - 2067
Fax: 1 (617) 338 - 8460
Email: joshyoung@bostonabcd.org
SECURING THE SAFETY NET:
A Seminar Series on Re-Inventing Core Services for Vulnerable Families & Individuals
Feel Better Yet?
The Impact of Federal and State Health Reform on
(light refreshments served at
Melnea Cass Room, Third Floor
ABCD Central
Keynote:
Christie Hager
Regional Director,
Panelists:
Andrew Cohen
Center for Health Law and Economics,
Alice Coombs, MD
President,
Brian Rosman
Research Director, Health Care for All
And others
Join us for a discussion of issues:
· Will the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act change health reform as we know it in
· How has
· What remains to be done? Can we reform Health Reform if we need to?
For more information or to RSVP, please contact
Roxanne Reddington-Wilde redwilde@bostonabcd.org or call
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DO YOU NEED LEGAL HELP
SEALING YOUR
FREE
GREATER BOSTON LEGAL SERVICES (GBLS),
LEGAL ADVOCACY & RESOURCE CENTER (LARC)
IN COLLABORATION WITH SUFFOLK LAW SCHOOL
IS HOLDING
A FREE
INDIGENT OR
WHO WANT TO SEAL
THEIR CRIMINAL RECORDS (
WHEN: THURSDAY,
TIME: 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
WHERE: GREATER BOSTON LEGAL SERVICES,
197 Friend Street, Boston
IMPORTANT.
If you already have a copy of your
HOW TO
North Station Orange or Green Line T-Stop
Near BankNorth Garden or the Edward Brooke Courthouse.
|
|
Walk in the spooky night woods of the park, look for the ghosts among the old stone ruins, and enjoy a moonlit outing. Hear stories of those who may haunt the woods and historic places from Duke Ellington to Ralph Waldo Emerson to Elma Lewis.
The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundations awards 250 scholarships annually to high achieving high school seniors all across this nation. I am a proud 2003 Coke Scholar and now the Regional Connections Coordinator for Greensboro & Winston-Salem, NC.
If you know of any high school seniors with a 3.0 GPAs or higher, please encourage them to apply for the Coca-Cola Scholarship. Please click on the link below to read the program overview, learn eligibility requirements and apply:
https://www.coca-colascholars.org/cokeWeb/page.jsp?navigation=15
Applications are due by October 31, 2010.
New Tea Party Report
Exposing the Link Between Tea Party Leaders and Racism
Tea Party Nationalism is a new report by Devin Burghart, Leonard Zeskind and the Institute for Research & Education on Human Rights that exposes the connection between numerous Tea Party leaders and racism.
At TeaPartyTracker.com you've seen the examples of racism at Tea Party events and rallies. Tea Party Nationalism digs even deeper into the histories of Tea Party leaders around the country, and the results are shocking.
Sign up for more information below, and NAACP will keep you updated on the report -- as well as other important news about the Tea Party movement. Download a copy of the report here, and view interactive maps and photos at TeaPartyNationalism.com
Below is just a sampling of what you'll find in Tea Party Nationalism.
Profiles of Troubling Tea Partiers
Karen Pack
Karen Pack describes herself as "a Christian, a Tea Party Member, a Constitutionalist and a Patriot", is the leader of the Wood County Tea Party in Texas. But she also has a history with the Ku Klux Klan. Documents show that Karen Pack of Winnsboro, subscribed to the "White Patriot" tabloid, and that Thom Robb's Knights of the Ku Klux Klan listed her as an "official supporter."
Roan Garcia-Quintana
Roan Garcia-Quintana of Mauldin, South Carolina is involved in several local Tea Parties and served as "advisor and media spokesman" for the 2010 Tax Day Tea Party rally in Greenville, South Carolina. Garcia-Quintana recently joined the National Board of Directors of the Council of Conservative Citizens (CofCC), the largest white nationalist group in the country and direct descendant of the white Citizens Councils that fought to defend Jim Crow segregation during the 1950s and 1960s.
Peter Gemma
Peter Gemma, a resident of a Sarasota, Florida, belongs to the ResistNet Tea Party faction. Gemma is also a professional white nationalist. He served as head of Design, Marketing, and Advertising for the white nationalist Council of Conservative Citizens newsletter, the Citizens Informe -- which has complained that minorities were turning the U.S. population into a "slimy brown mass of glop."
Clayton R. Douglas
Sixty-four year-old Tea Partier Clay Douglas lives in Tucson, Arizona. The biker and one-time mayor of the tiny hamlet of Bingham, New Mexico is a member of the ResistNet Tea Party faction. Douglas uses his ResistNet website profile to advertise his Free American website and radio program -- which has run racist stories like, "Are the Jews Behind the Destruction of America?" At a conference of another anti-Semitic group, Douglas once blamed Jews for the
Larry Pratt
Larry Pratt of Virginia is a member of two different national Tea Party networks: Tea Party Nation and 1776 Tea Party. He has been promoting the gun and militia movement for years. In 1992 he spoke at a Colorado meeting of Aryan Nations leaders, former Ku Klux Klansmen, and adherents of so-called "Christian Identity" -- a doctrine in which Jews are considered Satanic and persons of color are referred to as "mud people."
Billy Roper
Billy Joe Roper is an enrolled member of the ResistNet Tea Party, a write-in for Arkansas Governor and a founder of the White Revolution. One of White Revolution's rallies was held in Topeka, Kansas in May 2004, to protest the anniversary of Brown v. Topeka Board of Education, the 1954 Supreme Court ruling that outlawed Jim Crow segregation in education.
© 2009 - 2010 National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
TAKE ACTION: JUSTICE FOR THE SCOTT SISTERS
Jamie and Gladys Scott – the "Scott Sisters" – have been incarcerated in Mississippi for the last 15 years for an armed robbery that yielded $11, a crime in which they have consistently denied involvement. Neither of the Scott Sisters had a prior criminal record.
The presiding judge in their trial, Judge Marcus Gordon, has a history of racially biased rulings, including granting bail to the KKK murderer of the three civil rights workers Chaney, Goodman and Schwerner. 
Sign the petition. http://action.naacp.org/page/s/scottsisters
Watch the video. http://www.naacp.org/blog/entry/naacp-press-conference-on-the-scott-sisters/
NAACP President Benjamin Todd Jealous' September 14 press conference asking for the sisters' release.
Dough is now hiring!
Please fill out an application [ Word | PDF ] and either stop by between the hours of 2 and
Boston Alliance for Community Health
Program Director
Job Posting
SUMMARY
The Program Director for the Boston Alliance for Community Health provides leadership and administration in developing the capacity of the Alliance to address and improve the health of Boston residents. The Alliance promotes neighborhood-driven health planning and improvement activities to influence policymaking, program development, and resource allocations that protect, promote, and improve the health and well-being of City residents. The Program Director facilitates city-wide initiatives and works with the Alliance's member neighborhood health coalitions in assessing community health needs, establishing health priorities, and achieving health equity. The Program Director works collaboratively with the Alliance Steering Committee and reports to the Director, Greater Boston Center for Healthy Communities and the Chair of the Alliance. This is a full-time position within Health Resources in Action (HRiA), a private, non-profit organization.
QUALIFICATIONS
At least seven years of management experience (MPH or MPA preferred) in community health planning and evaluation, addressing health disparities, community organizing, training, and providing technical assistance is essential. Candidates must be able to manage multiple projects, be detailed oriented and organized, and possess strong group facilitation skills and well-developed written and verbal communication skills. Leadership capabilities and demonstrated successful experience in working with diverse populations are required for this position. A valid driver's license and access to a car are required, since regular travel will be necessary.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Programmatic:
Provide leadership, program development, and program management for Alliance activities and initiatives.
Build and maintain the Alliance's membership through strong relationships with neighborhood health coalitions, hospitals, community health centers, community-based organizations, the Boston Public Health Commission and other city agencies, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and other state government, universities, businesses, and other collaborators.
Facilitate neighborhood-based community health assessment and health improvement planning in cooperation with key stakeholders.
Manage Alliance grant making to neighborhood health coalitions, including the development and dissemination of Requests for Proposals (RFP), review processes, technical assistance, evaluation, accounting, and reporting.
Coordinate/provide technical assistance to Alliance neighborhood coalitions to ensure that all constituencies (e.g. youth, elders, etc.) are actively involved in Alliance neighborhood planning activities and implementation initiatives.
Coordinate/provide technical assistance and training to support existing Alliance neighborhood coalitions in addressing health disparities through activities including accessing and utilizing health data; needs and resource assessment; community health planning and evaluation; outreach and inclusion; cultural competency; fundraising and grant writing; and other aspects of coalition sustainability.
Ensure that the training and educational needs of neighborhood coalitions and the Alliance are identified, prioritized, and addressed.
Coordinate/provide technical assistance to Boston neighborhoods not currently identified as Alliance groups to identify appropriate coalitions to become associated with the Alliance, or if no such coalitions/partnerships exist, assist interested stakeholders in developing a community coalition to identify and address health issues in those neighborhoods.
Provide regular updates to Alliance Steering Committee on status of current projects and activities.
Experience working in and knowledge of Boston neighborhoods necessary.Management & Supervision:
Manage Alliance Steering Committee meetings, including agenda development, minutes, and meeting facilitation, in cooperation with the Alliance's elected leadership.
Work with the Alliance Steering Committee and its subcommittees to implement the Alliance's strategic plan.
Supervise and manage Alliance staff, consultants, interns, and volunteers.
Conduct staff performance reviews annually.
Manage Alliance internal and external communications.Budget & Finance:
Work with fiscal agent to manage and track Alliance budget resources.
Identify and pursue opportunities for maintaining and/or expanding the Alliance's funding base through grants, donations, and other funding sources in cooperation with the Steering Committee.
Identify resources to enhance support for neighborhood health coalitions.Other:
Ensure that the existing Alliance website is current, including but not limited to frequent updates of calendar events and other information as requested by Alliance members.
Other tasks and duties consistent with the responsibility of this position.Diversity in organizational practice is a core value of HRiA resulting in culturally competent services, materials, resources, and programs. Our hiring and business practices are informed by an appreciation of the strengths offered by differing cultures, races, religions, ethnicities, classes, sexual orientation, physical capacities, and age groups.
HRiA offers an attractive benefits package, including medical, dental and life insurance, retirement plan, tax-deferred annuity, and generous vacation. This job description is intended to indicate the kinds of work duties that will be required in this position. It is not intended to limit, or in any way modify, the rights of any supervisor to assign, direct, and contract work of staff under his/her supervision. The use of a particular illustration describing duties shall not be held to exclude other duties, not mentioned, that are of a similar level or difficulty.
REPLY
Qualified candidates should submit by email a resume with cover letter and salary requirements to Human Resources at jobs@hria.org or mail to 95 Berkeley Street, Suite 208, Boston, MA 02116 by no later than September 10, 2010. Please write Program Director/Boston Alliance for Community Health in the subject line of your email. No phone calls please.
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DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT
OFFICE OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
PARTNERS WITH NON-PROFITS
The City of
The Request for Proposal package will be available on
DISCLAIMER: The City of
Completed proposals must be submitted as instructed in the RFP, in a sealed envelope, clearly marked with the project title "Partners with Non-Profits RFP" and submitted directly to:
DND, Bid Counter, 10th Floor, 26 Court Street, Boston, MA 02108, by
no later than
For more information on this RFP, please contact John Lynch, Operations Specialist, at The Office of Business Development,
Chief of Housing and Director
Please Note:
DND Bid Counter hours of operation are Monday – Friday