Public News Service

Over the past two decades, 5,329 patients in the United States have utilized medical aid-in-dying laws, while at least 8,451 patients received a prescription, according to the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. (Adobe Stock)

MA could become 11th state with medical aid-in-dying law

Lawmakers in Massachusetts are considering legislation to allow medical aid in dying as an option for mentally capable, terminally ill adults…

More than six in every 1,000 people in the U.S. are behind bars, the highest incarceration rate in the world, despite the U.S. having lower crime rates than other countries. (Adobe Stock)<br /> <br />

Boston U. Prison Education Program celebrates 50 years of changing lives

Boston University's Prison Education Program is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and is hoping to expand. Students at Massachusetts Correctional …

128 of the 351 cities and towns in the state have had a change in their local clerk or chief election official since the 2020 presidential election, according to the Massachusetts Secretary of State. (Adobe Stock) <br />

Turnover in MA election officials as presidential election nears

Heightened scrutiny and harassment are helping fuel an increasing turnover rate of election officials in Massachusetts and beyond, according to a new …

The Jan. 6 Committee's final report revealed members of the Oath Keepers and other Trump allies stockpiled weapons near Washington, D.C., as they waited for the former president to invoke the Insurrection Act and deploy the military for domestic law enforcement. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Social media's 'networked incitement' the latest challenge to democracy

The use of social media to organize the Jan. 6 insurrection marked a turning point in American political protest, according to a leading media and …

An analysis of eight U.S. cities found that between 21% and 38% of 911 calls are related to mental health, substance use, homelessness and other quality-of-life concerns, all matters advocates said could be better addressed by people other than police. (Adobe Stock)

MA Considers Unarmed Response Units for Mental Health 911 Calls

Community groups in Massachusetts are calling for an end to armed police response to mental health-related 911 calls. The majority of calls are for …

Researchers say access to driver's licenses helps ensure the health of immigrants and other communities. California, for example, saw an 18% increase in registered organ donors the year it started licensing drivers without status. (Adobe Stock)

Undocumented Immigrants in MA Allowed License to Drive

Undocumented immigrants in Massachusetts are now able to apply for a driver's license regardless of their immigration status. The Work and Family …

Democratic lawmakers are calling for term limits to ensure each president has the opportunity to appoint the same number of Supreme Court justices each term, in an effort to make the high court more democratically representative. (Adobe Stock)

MA Lawmakers Call for Expansion of U.S. Supreme Court

Massachusetts lawmakers in Congress are calling for an expansion of the U.S. Supreme Court due to what they said are "ethical lapses" and "partisan …

Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., says police brutality is a crisis plaguing Black and brown communities. Despite comprising only 13% of the U.S. population, Black people accounted for 26% of those killed by police in 2022, according to the nonprofit Mapping Police Violence. (Office of Rep. Pressley)

MA Lawmakers Aim to End Qualified Immunity, Let People Sue Police

Massachusetts lawmakers in Congress have reintroduced legislation which would allow people to sue police officers and other state and local government…

Facial-recognition technology companies, which originally partnered with law enforcement, are now working with schools and universities to increase safety and prevent shootings by denying campus access to people who have been banned, or to monitor activity inside school buildings. (Adobe Stock)

MA Bill Would Tighten Restrictions on Facial Recognition Technology

Lawmakers in the Commonwealth are considering legislation to ensure police use of facial-recognition technology also protects people's privacy and civ…

Community members work on a peace mural for the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute. Along with the Boston Public Health Commission, the group offers a Survivors Outreach Services program to deliver coordinated services to families affected by homicide. (Louis D. Brown Peace Institute)

Group Works to Build Peace Out of Despair in Boston

While community activists in some of Boston's south side neighborhoods have declared a state of emergency following a string of fatal shootings…

Sheriffs in Massachusetts are responsible for more than half the state's incarcerated population. (Mark Sardella/Flickr)

MA Campaign: Do You Know Who Your Sheriff Is?

Fewer than one in five Bay State voters can correctly name their local sheriff, according to a recent survey. To fill that knowledge gap, the …

Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley of Boston is one of the community leaders featured in the Uncornered Boston Photo Project. (Boston Uncornered)

Exhibit Showcases Ties Between Boston Residents, Historic Mayoral Race

BOSTON -- A new photo exhibit in the Seaport District showcases the surprising ties between a wide swath of Boston residents. The Boston Uncornered …

Massachusetts raised the age of criminal responsibility from 17 to 18 in 2013, the fourth state to do so. (Flickr)

Report: 'Raise the Age' Law in MA Reduced Youth Detention

BOSTON - The number of kids and teens detained in Massachusetts has decreased since the state started treating arrested 17-year-olds as juveniles rath…

Just two states give people incarcerated for felonies the right to vote - Vermont and Maine. (Orlowski Designs LLC/Adobe Stock)

Groups Call for Increased Voting Access in MA Prisons, Jails

BOSTON -- Advocates for voting rights are calling on Massachusetts lawmakers to increase access to the ballot box in jails and prisons before this fal…

A new Gallup survey shows more than 60% of Americans say they know

Juneteenth Declared National Holiday, Amidst Progress, Upheaval

BOSTON -- Juneteenth National Independence Day is now an official holiday, after President Joe Biden signed a bill Thursday, approved by both the US …

Boston organizers for racial justice held a protest this weekend, and similar events took place in California, Florida, Georgia, New York, Ohio and Texas. (Ali/Adobe Stock)

MA Activists Join National Protest Before Chauvin Trial

BOSTON -- Advocates for families who've been impacted by police brutality in Boston joined a nationwide call to protest, the weekend before the start …

Boston is one of the many cities across the country that erupted in protests over police brutality this summer. More than half a year later, a police reform bill nears passage in the General Court. (Fitz/Adobe Stock)

Scaled-Back MA Police-Reform Bill Awaits Final Approval

BOSTON -- Massachusetts is on the verge of joining the 36 other states that have independent, civilian-led commissions in charge of decertifying …

Multiple license applications are already in the pipeline to allow state-approved applicants to deliver marijuana to homes in Boston for recreational use. (Growweedeasy)

Commission Paves Way for MA Home Delivery of Recreational Marijuana

BOSTON -- Massachusetts residents may soon be able to get recreational marijuana delivered to their doorsteps. On Monday, the state Cannabis Control …

In the Massachusetts General Court, a bill to make phone calls free from prisons and jails during the pandemic has reported favorably out of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. (Pikist/Creative Commons)

MA Lawmakers Consider Free Phone Calls from Prisons, Jails

BOSTON, Mass. -- As COVID-19 spreads through prisons and jails, there's legislation - both state and federal - to curb the high price of phone calls …

A parishioner from St. John's Episcopal Church in Lafayette Square, photographed after the church had been defaced with graffiti this weekend. (St. John's Church/Facebook)

Episcopal Bishops Denounce President's Church 'Photo Op'

BOSTON -- New England's Episcopal bishops unanimously are calling out President Donald Trump's appearance in front of St. John's Episcopal Church in …

According to Department of Youth Services data, almost 22% of young people serving time in Massachusetts juvenile facilities have been released since Apr. 1. (Google Maps)

MA Youth Detention Population Drops More than 20% within Weeks

BOSTON -- Fewer young people are in detention in Massachusetts since the beginning of April, as part of efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19…

In Isabelle Doerre-Torres' curriculum, students learn about El Salvador's civil war (1980-1992) that killed more than 75,000 people, and that the U.S. funneled more than $4.5 billion to the right-wing Salvadoran government in the name of fighting communism. (Wikipedia Commons)

How a Boston Teen Changed the Way Teachers Approach Immigration History

By Anna-Cat Brigida Broadcast version by Laura Rosbrow-Telem Reporting for the YES! Magazine-Media-Commonwealth News Service Collaboration BOSTON -- …

A new national report says progress is being made in closing racial gaps in prison populations. Among women, the disparity in black and white imprisonment rates has dropped from 6-to-1 to 2-to-1. (Ichigo121212/Pixabay)

Racial Gap Remains in MA Prisons, Despite National Progress

BOSTON – There's been positive movement in reducing racial gaps in prison populations across the United States, according to a new report…

Every New England state has seen higher rates of opioid overdose deaths than the U.S. average. (New England Public Policy Center)

Availability, Not the Economy, Drives New England Opioid Overdoses

BOSTON – A new report claims it isn't economic factors that have fueled high numbers of opioid overdoses in New England – but doctors who'…

Experts say many mass murderers, including the Columbine shooters, had a history of animal abuse. (littlezam7@Twenty20)

Work Intensifies to Keep Guns Away from Animal Abusers

By Lynne Peeples/Broadcast version by Mary Schuermann Reporting for the FairWarning-Commonwealth News Service Collaboration BOSTON – A convict…

Experts say in-person family visits with people who are in jail or prison help reduce recidivism. (Boardhead [CC BY-SA 3.0)]/Wikimedia Commons)

MA Criminal Justice Bill Aims to Protect In-Person Jail Visits

BOSTON – Maintaining contact with family is important to the wellbeing of people who are incarcerated, and a bill in the state legislature …

Bay State Students Set to Take a Stand on Gun Violence

BOSTON – Students in towns big and small in Massachusetts and across the country are "marching for their lives" on Saturday. They'll be joining …

Massachusetts has the lowest rate of drug imprisonments of all states, but ranks 13th in the rate of overdose deaths. (Pixabay)

Report: Tougher Drug Laws Don’t Reduce Overdose Deaths

BOSTON - A new, 50-state study finds that putting more people in jail for drug offenses doesn't reduce drug use or overdose deaths. On Monday…

ICE officials have carried out enforcement actions in at least 24 Massachusetts courthouses. (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Civil-Rights Groups Seek to Block ICE Arrests at Courthouses

BOSTON – Civil-rights groups are asking the Commonwealth's highest court to stop federal immigration officials from arresting people at courthou…

Nine states and Washington D.C. have legalized recreational marijuana. (StayRegular/Pixabay)

Bill Seeks to Protect Marijuana Users in MA

BOSTON – A bill has been introduced in the legislature to keep those who follow the Bay State's law on marijuana use from being turned over to f…

After 1978, the number of women in prison nationwide increased at twice the rate of men. (jaroas/Pixabay)

Reductions in Prison Population Lag for Women

BOSTON – Prison populations are dropping in most states, but a new study finds that the number of incarcerated women is not falling as fast as …

The state�s Cannabis Control Commission still plans to begin marijuana sales this year. (noexcusesradio/Pixabay.com)

Will Sessions' Announcement Hinder Marijuana Legalization?

BOSTON – The Trump administration is taking aim at states that have legalized marijuana. On Thursday, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions …

Police and court officers now need more than just an ICE detainer to hold a person in custody, according to a ruling from the state's highest court. (Picssr/Flckr)

State's High Court Slams Brakes on Immigration Detainers

BOSTON – It is being called a setback for federal immigration agents. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court issued a ruling Monday that …

Former state crime lab chemist Annie Dookhan has served her sentence for falsifying drug evidence, resulting in dismissal of nearly 24,000 cases. (Pinterest/Truth Kings)

Immigrants Face Collateral Damage of MA Crime Lab Misconduct

BOSTON – It was big news when the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court last week dismissed more than 20,000 drug cases due to misconduct by a fo…

A national model program, the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative is being credited for a major drop in the number of young people being held in secure detention in Massachusetts. (Department of Youth Services)

MA Drops Number of Youth in Secure Detention

BOSTON — The number of Bay State kids being held in secure detention while awaiting court dates has dropped by more than 50 percent over eight y…

A legal case pending in Massachusetts could set a nationwide precedent for sanctuary cities, even as they are threatened with funding cuts by the Trump administration. (Alex Shure/ACLU Mass.)

Could MA Set U.S. Legal Precedent on Sanctuary Cities?

BOSTON – Amherst, Cambridge and Northampton are among the Massachusetts cities now under threat of losing federal funding for grants and …

As Mayor Marty Walsh defends Boston as a sanctuary city, a new report finds the presence of immigrants in a city does not increase crime. (Pixabay)

Report Shores Up Mayor Walsh's Defense of Sanctuary Cities

BOSTON -- As President Donald Trump continues to make good on promises to deport undocumented immigrants and Mayor Marty Walsh defends Boston as a san…

Data from a new report indicates people in Massachusetts' poorest communities are far more likely to be on probation and paying monthly probation fees. (Prison Policy Initiative)

Report: Probation Fees Hit Poor MA Communities the Hardest

EAST HAMPTON, Mass. – A new report says the fees that Massachusetts charges to people on probation are falling disproportionately on those who …

Naomi Goldberg is co-author of a new report that finds transgender people are vulnerable to many forms of discrimination that make them far more likely to end up in jail and prison. (Jimenez/Funders for LGBTQ Issues)

New Report: Transgender People Face Discrimination Well Beyond the Bathroom

BOSTON – A new report says it is not just controversial bathroom laws, but a wide range of factors that make transgender people vulnerable to a …

Five percent of kids in Massachusetts grow up missing a parent who is incarcerated and a new report examines what can be done to make the experience less traumatic for children. (Matt Crampton)

69,000 Commonwealth Kids with Parents in Prison

BOSTON - About 69,000 children in the Commonwealth are growing up with a parent who is or has been incarcerated, and a new report says that can have …

The future of mandatory minimum sentencing is now in the hands of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. (Swampyank/English Wikipedia)

Test Case Tackles Commonwealth's Mandatory Minimum Sentences

BOSTON - It is now up to the state's highest court to determine whether a judge in a drug case can impose a sentence lower than the mandatory minimum…

Police should be called to Peck School in Holyoke less often as the result of a settlement with the school district that also calls for reducing the use of restraints on students with disabilities. (Jeff Joniec)

Goal: Fewer Restraints, Cop Calls at Holyoke School

HOLYOKE, Mass. - It is an agreement that should mean fewer students ending up in restraints and fewer cops being called to respond to discipline …

A new report ranks the Commonwealth in the top 10 states for both the strength and scope of its animal-protection laws. (Pixabay)

MA Ranks in Top 10 States for Animals

BOSTON – Massachusetts scores in the top 10 for animals in a new report that ranks protection laws in all 50 states. The report from the …

Death penalty opponents say the 4-3 decision by the Connecticut Supreme Court to abolish the death penalty moves the state more in line with the Commonwealth and most of New England. Credit

Death Penalty Decision: Moves CT in Line with New England, Nation

BOSTON – Death penalty opponents say last week's Connecticut Supreme Court decision striking down the death penalty moves the state more in line…

PHOTO: A new JAMA report details reasons that more funding is needed for public health and social service programs, such as Boston's Men's Health Crew, which focuses on preventing domestic violence. The report says the U.S. health system is failing young men of color. Photo courtesy Boston Public Health Commission.

Health System Failing Young Black Men; Survival Rate Better in Prison

BOSTON - There is no shortage of medical spending or technology in New England, but a new report says young, black men are more likely to survive in …

PHOTO: Department of Youth Services Commissioner Peter Forbes (right) says 2014 saw the entire Juvenile Justice system in the Commonwealth get its head around the fact that kids are different and a developmental approach is needed. Credit: Daisy Gomez-Hugenberger, DYS

MA Juvenile Justice System "Gets It" - Kids are Different

BOSTON – The biggest sign of progress when it comes to juvenile justice in Massachusetts in 2014 is a major change in thinking, according to …

PHOTO: A two-generation approach to lifting the Commonwealth's children out of poverty is the recommendation of a new report that says opportunities for their parents must be widened. Photo credit: TaniaVDP/Pixabay

Report: Commonwealth Needs “Two-Generation” Help on Poverty

BOSTON - If the Commonwealth of Massachusetts wants to lift its children out of poverty, it should put its focus on their parents at the same time…

PHOTO: As part of American Education Week, Dennis Van Roekel of the National Education Association meets with schoolchildren. The Massachusetts Teachers Association and NEA are acknowledging the role played by school workers outside the classrooms in student safety. Photo courtesy NEA

Safety First on Education Week in Commonwealth

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. - With the anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting coming up next month, safety is a coincidental part of this …

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MA: Criminal Justice