Pretrial: Alternatives to Jail, Bail, Detention at the Community Justice Support Center

Online Only

CPCS has approved this program for 2.0 credit hours for the xxxxx panels.

Program Faculty

Hon. Cesar Archilla- First Justice, Haverhill Division, District Court Department

Sandra Brown, LCSW, OCC Program Manager- Pretrial Services Program- Quincy

Representative Michael Day, Esq.- House Chair, Joint Committee on the Judiciary

Pamerson Ifill- Deputy Commissioner of Probation for Pretrial Services

Vincent Lorenti, Esq.- Director of the Office of Community Corrections

Myriam Feliz- Assistant District Attorney, Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office

Defense Counsel TBA

Kyle Schadler, LICSW, OCC Program Manager- Community Justice Support Center- Pittsfield

Program Description

According to County Population Reports published by the Massachusetts Sheriff Association at Mass.gov, the average daily population of people sentenced to the House of Correction dropped 79% between July 2012 and July 2021 from 7,456 to 1,579.  During the same period the average daily population of people held pending trial dropped just 21% from 5,319 to 4,182.  The Prison Population Initiative indicates that Massachusetts has the lowest per capita incarceration rate in the United States at 275 per 100,000 as of September 2021.  Yet, there are still 2.6Xs more people incarcerated per capita in Massachusetts than Canada and Canada and Massachusetts have similar violent crime rates.

The negative impacts of incarceration are widely documented.  Incarceration can result in trauma, homelessness, unemployment, family disconnection, and over time contribute to generational poverty.  The burden of these negative impacts falls disproportionately on communities of color.  A 2020 report from the Criminal Justice Policy Program at Harvard Law indicates that Black people are 7.9Xs more likely to be incarcerated than white people and Latinx people are 4.9Xs more likely to be incarcerated than white people.  Since those held pretrial make up such a large proportion of people incarcerated in the Commonwealth, one of the most important ways the system can address the negative impact of mass incarceration is to find more effective opportunities to avoid pretrial detention.

The Criminal Justice Reform Acts of 2018 made significant policy changes to improve outcomes in criminal justice.  Among these was the creation of a Pretrial Services Division at the MA Probation Service and expansion of the statutory bases for orders to Community Justice Support Centers.  This program will provide an overview of developments at the Pretrial Service Division, describe Pretrial Treatment and Pretrial Services pathways to the Community Justice Support Center, and talk about the potential to use these pathways to reduce jail detention and expedite case resolution.

Program Agenda

1. Welcoming Remarks –Hon. Stacy Fortes, District Court Chief Justice
2. Keynote – Legislator from Judiciary Committee
3. Pretrial Services Division – Deputy Commissioner of Pretrial Services, Pamerson Ifill
4. Pretrial Treatment and Pretrial Services at Community Justice Support Centers – Director of Community Corrections, Vin Lorenti
5. Testimonials and Success Stories – OCC Program Managers, Defense Bar, ADA
6. Question and Answer