Governor Forms Search Committee for Dept. of Correction Commissioner

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BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced an update on the search process to identify the nextCommissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Correction, following the retirement of Commissioner Carol Mici last month.

The Administration has formeda six-member search committee, composed of diverse professionals and community leaders with wide-ranging expertise and lived experience, to guide a robust process to identify the new executive and administrative leader of the Department of Correction.

With administrative support from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS), the Committee will guide the search process and provide multiple opportunities for stakeholder engagement. During the ongoing search, the Department remains under the leadership of Interim Commissioner Shawn Jenkins.  

Search Committee members include: 

  • Deirdre Calvert, Director of the Massachusetts Bureau of Substance Addiction Services 

  • Reverend Rahsaan D. Hall, President and CEO of the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts 

  • David C. Henderson, MD, Psychiatrist-in-Chief at Boston Medical Center and Professor and Chair, Department of Psychiatry, at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine 

  • Sakieth Sako Long, Director of Operations for the Northeast Region at the Massachusetts Department of Youth Services 
  • Scott Semple, Retired Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Correction 

  • Yolanda Smith, Executive Director of Public Safety at Tufts University and former Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department Superintendent and Chief of Staff 

The search committee will begin the process by seeking stakeholder input about the most valued qualities and criteria for the DOC’s next commissioner. The search committee will then conduct a robust search and interview process for qualified candidates, culminating in a selection of finalists to be recommended to the Governor.  

 

 

 

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Shoes at Pittsfield City Hall Give Shocking Visual of Countywide Child Abuse

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

Amy Hall, president and CEO of Child Care of the Berkshires, speaks at Friday's annual Step Up event at Pittsfield City Hall.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — One case of child abuse is too many, Berkshire leaders say.

The steps of City Hall were lined with 56 pairs of children's shoes on Friday, representing the average number of children with confirmed abuse and neglect cases each month in the county. The Children's Trust and Child Care of the Berkshires coordinate this shocking visual yearly.

"Let's just take a minute and realize how many kids that is. That's probably about the number right here that are all together," Jennifer Valenzuela, executive director of the Children's Trust said.

"Fifty-six is  too many children that are being entered into our system and that something is happening in their home. The last time we were all here it was 2019 and there were 58 pairs of shoes so we're doing better. We've gone down by two a month."

She said the goal is for more children to have access to great child care and strong adult support. How does this become a reality? Strong programming and a strong workforce.

"Our home visitors and our family support staff wake up every day and they give unselfishly to the families across Massachusetts. They're supporting our families day in and day out. They're helping them learn about parenting and child development and helping them get set up in the systems that are available and signing up for programming. They're listening to the highs of what it is to be a parent and the lows and for those of us who are parents here, we know that there are many highs and lows," Valenzuela said.

"Their stories of why they do this are heartfelt and I've been going around the state over the last year and a half since I started. What I hear over and over again is, 'I love what I do. I wake up every day and I'm so grateful for the engagement I have with these families and the partnerships that we create. I want to do this for as long as I possibly can.'

"The problem is, they can't afford to stay. We're not paying our workforce enough for them to be able to live and to sustain in this type of work."

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