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This Fall's News
* Reminder: Did you change your clocks? —Fall back, Spring ahead
* Matthew DeVeau is presented with the Margaret Oglesby Award
1-$900,000 grant to fund Career Technical Education Programs
2-Statewide Community Justice Support Center Grand Re-openings
3-MPS Business News Updates
4-Cultural Appreciation Week 2022 was a huge success/
Statewide Food and Winter Clothing Drives launch
5-MPS Participates Photo Gallery/MPS Moves and Achievements
6- Training Unit kicks off Seeing RED
7- MPS in the News
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**REMINDER:Did you change your clocks- Fall Back, Spring Ahead
Daylight saving time ended on Sunday, November 6, at 2 am. Turn your clocks back one hour.
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Matthew DeVeau is presented with the
Margaret Elizabeth Oglesby Award
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Margaret E. Oglesby, former Hampshire Superior Court Chief Probation Officer and military hero. Margaret Elizabeth Oglesby Award 2022 recipient Matthew DeVeau. | |
Left to right: First Deputy Commissioner Dianne Fasano; Associate Court Administrator Matt Cocciardi; Court Administrator John Bello; Deputy Commissioner- Pretrial Sevices Pamerson Ifill; Frank Oglesby; Massachusetts Trial Court Chief Justice Jeffrey Locke, Trial Court Veterans Programs Coordinator Jason Thomas; and Deputy Commissioner- Administrative Services Yvonne Roland. | |
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The Massachusetts Probation Service presented the third annual Margaret Elizabeth Oglesby Award to Matthew DeVeau, Chief Probation Officer in the Administrative Supervision Unit on Tuesday, October 25, at the Massachusetts Training and Operations Center (MTOC) in Clinton. The award ceremony was held during the Massachusetts Trial Court’s Sixth Annual Cultural Appreciation Week celebration, October 24-28.
This award, based on the nomination of colleagues, is presented to an MPS employee and military veteran with distinguished service in both roles. The award was established in honor of Mrs. Oglesby, former Hampshire Superior Court Chief Probation Officer, military leader, and hero.
Brockton District Court Probation Officer Linda Santos opened the ceremony with a rendition of “God Bless America.” The event—which also included a Massachusetts Trial Court Color Guard—featured remarks by Commissioner Edward Dolan; Frank Oglesby, Mrs. Oglesby’s husband; Trial Court Veterans Program Coordinator Jason Thomas, and award recipient Mr. DeVeau. Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Kimberly Budd, Massachusetts Trial Court Chief Justice Jeffrey Locke, Court Administrator John Bello, and Associate Court Administrator Matt Cocciardi attended the ceremony.
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An MPS Salute to Veterans
MPS colleagues, are you a veteran?
Please forward a (military) photo of yourself and a current photo as well as the branch of the armed services you served in and the years you served. We would like to feature you in a special salute.
This information can be forwarded to coria.Holland@jud.state.ma.us by Wednesday, November 9th. Photos may be sent via text at 617-429-5629.
Please call 617-557-0258 and leave a message to confirm that you’ve sent this information.
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$900,000 federal grant to fund Career
Technical Education Programs
The Massachusetts Trial Court has received a $900,000 Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) federal grant to help fund the High-Tech Career Re-entry Project (HTCRP) which will provide technical training and prepare probationers and parolees for entry-level employment in the much in demand Information Technology field.
This pilot project will lead to the implementation of Career Technical Education programs which will be offered at the Massachusetts Probation Service’s Community Justice Support Centers across the state. There are 19 Support Centers throughout the state with two in development in Haverhill and Greenfield.
“We are thrilled to receive this grant which will help us prepare those who are leaving facilities and re-entering society. It complements the many offerings we have at the Support Centers,” said Vincent Lorenti, Director of the Office of Community Corrections.
The Trial Court will partner with the Suffolk County Sheriff's Department and the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPPS) as well as the Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology and other employer partners to provide guaranteed interviews for entry-level positions.
Support Centers, an alternative to prison and jail, were credited in a UPENN study for reducing recidivism rates by up to 36 percent among probationers who attend. This success is measured by the reduction in arraignments for clients within one year of them being referred or sentenced to a center.
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Statewide Support Center Grand Re-openings
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The Office of Community Corrections has hosted four of seven scheduled grand re-opening and ribbon-cutting ceremonies at Community Justice Support Centers across the Commonwealth. These events are scheduled through December. The Support Centers serve as an alternative to jail or prison.
Many of the ceremonies celebrate the grand re-opening of the centers which were relocated to new buildings during the last year. A celebration at the Boston Community Justice Support Center in June kicked off the series of celebrations. Re-openings have also taken place at the Taunton, Northampton and Springfield sites. A grand re-opening is planned for the Lawrence Support Center on November 9th. Check out the schedule below for upcoming events.
The Grand Re-Opening and Recognition Ceremony Schedule:
November 9th- Lawrence CJSC grand re-opening
November 30th- Plymouth CJSC grand re-opening
December 7th- Brockton CJSC grand re-opening
For more information about Community Justice Support Centers, contact Community.justice@jud.state.ma.us.
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MPS Business News Updates
MPS employees have been extremely busy this fall. Probation Commissioner Edward Dolan joined Massachusetts Trial Court Chief Justice Jeffrey Locke, Court Administrator John Bello, and Senior Program Manager for Strategic Planning Cynthia Robinson for a virtual Town Hall meeting on October 4th. The court leaders outlined the top five priorities of the strategic plan which includes:
1- Fair and impartial administration of justice
2- Protection of constitutional and statutory rights and liberties
3- Equal access to justice for all in a safe and dignified environment with policies and practices that strengthen and support diversity, equity, and inclusion
4- Efficient, effective, and accountable resolution of disputes
5- Prompt courteous service to the public by committed and dedicated professionals utilizing best practices in a manner that inspires public trust and confidence
MPS has a Strategic Plan and it can be found here: Mass. Probation Service 2023-2025 - Courtyard (interactgo.com)
The Senior Managers Leadership Conference was held at MTOC. (Check out the MPS Photo Gallery) below. MPS will host its December 2022 Senior Manager Conference on Friday, December 16th, at MTOC.
There is a new Status Code for the Domestic Violence Registry. The Massachusetts Training and Operation Center has a new emergency plan. The Electronic Monitoring Program is transitioning from the SCRAM Remote Breath (RB1) devices to the new SCRAM Remote Breath Pro (RB Pro) device.
To view any of these items, click on the links below.
* New Status Code for the DV Registry
* Check out MTOC’s Emergency Plan
* MPS ushers in new SCRAM Remote Breath devices.
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**** Announcements:
Registration for the Probation Officer Exam is open from November 14-January 6. The examination date is January 17- February 6, 2023. Click on 2023 Probation Officer Exam for more details.
Publications Update:
The MPS Pipeline newsletter will now be published quarterly. A new bi-monthly blog called The MPS Messenger will be introduced. The Messenger will feature MPS’ most current news, trends, operations, and activities throughout the Commonwealth.
MPS has also re-activated its LinkedIn Page which may be found by typing Massachusetts Probation Service in the search bar. MPS LinkedIn users, click and follow to keep informed.
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Cultural Appreciation Week 2022 was a huge success
Snapshots of Signature Court events
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In photos, left to right: Chief Justice Jeffrey Locke, Judge Serges George Jr., and Deputy Commissioner of Pretrial Services Pamerson Ifill. Middle, top photo: Statewide Supervisor Lorna Spencer and Deputy Ifill. Third photo, top right: New Americans taking an Oath of Allegiance at a Naturalization Ceremony held at Middlesex Superior Court. Second row: Gina performs traditional Buganda dance from Uganda at Newburyport/ipswich celebration. Cultural Appreciation cake. Irish step dancers at Southern Berkshire District Court. Cultural Appreciation Week display at Middlesex Superior Court. | |
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Cultural Appreciation Week 2022, October 24-28, has ended; but, the memories of all of the many celebrations of culture and community live on.
The celebrations took place in courthouses, court offices, and Community Justice Support Centers throughout the Commonwealth. From the Berkshires to the Cape, Massachusetts Trial Court employees and community members celebrated the rich cultures and diversity of court employees, court users, and residents in the communities surrounding the courts. These events featured food, dance, music, art, Coming to America testimonials, trivia, resource tables containing information on community resources, and more.
A podcast, called “Cultural Perspectives: A Community Conversation” was produced by Deputy Commissioner Pamerson Ifill and MPS Communications Director and Spokesperson Coria Holland who spotlightied Trial Court employees, their roles in courts, and their cultural heritage. The first interview featured Diamily Titus, a Fitchburg District Court Probation Officer II, who hails from Cuba. Cultural Perspectives may be found in the Courtyard Carousel and on LinkedIn. The second video includes an interview with Jude David, a Program Manager in MPS’ Training Unit. A third video is a conversation with Ahn Vu, First Assistant Chief Probation Officer at Boston Municipal Court-West Roxbury. Nomundari “Muna” Hakamoto, a Probation Case Specialist at Norfolk Probate & Family; and Juvenile Court Chief Justice Amy Nechtem have all been featured in the Courtyard Carousel. There are still more videos to be shared:Massachusetts Trial Court Court Administrator John Bello, Housing Court Deputy Court Administrator Benjamin Adeyinka, Southern Berkshire Assistant Chief Probation Officer Clifford Flynn; Pretrial Probation Administrative Secretary Mahlet Kebede; and Deputy Commissioner Pamerson Ifill who conceived of Cultural Appreciation Week.
To view the videos of Ms. Titus, Mr. David, Mr. Ahn Vu, Mrs. Hakamoto, and Chief Justice Nechtem, check them out in the Courtyard Carousel and on the Massachusetts Probation Service’s group page on LinkedIn. Just type in Massachusetts Probation Service in the search bar on LinkedIn.
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The Trial Court Cares
Food and Clothing Drives launch
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MPS Participates Photo Gallery
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Jennifer Donahue, Malden District Assistant Chief Probation Officer, joined with local and state police and WCVB-TV weatherman Michael Wankum to help bring attention to National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. Left to right are: Malden Police Chief Glenn Cronin, Mr. Wankum, ACPO Donahue, Detective Steve Mulcahy, and Jeanne Cronin.
The Roxbury Division of the Boston Municipal Court celebrated its Bicentennial. This event was planned by Edith Alexander, BMC-Roxbury Probation Officer II, Assistant Chief Court Officer Walter Reed, and Rochelle Burgos, Assistant Clerk Magistrate. Mr. Reed and Ms. Alexander pose in front of art created by students from the Rafael Hernandez School. The court's walls are decorated with this art work.
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September Senior Managers Meeting at MTOC | |
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The Massachusetts Chief Probation Officers Association, left to right: John Turner, BMC-Central; Laura Dion,Westfield District; Kelly Hamilton-Welzel; Kevin McClerkin, Suffolk Juvenile; Teresa Plante, Norfolk Probate & Family; Brian Weber, Barnstable Superior; Sheila Moriarty, Franklin Superior; Michael Branch, Brockton District Chief Probation Officer; Sandra Diaz-McNabb, Westboro District; and Vincent Piro, Woburn District Chief Probation Officer.
Audience shot; Commissioner of Probation Edward Dolan; Office of Workplace Rights and Compliance ADA Manager Cathlin Corbitt, and Andrea Bergeron, Manager of Workplace Rights.
Norfolk County Juvenile Chief Probation Officer Reginald Vibert, South Boston Chief Probation Officer Audrey Banks, and BMC-Charlestown Chief Probation Officer Michelle Williams-Masson.
Office of Workplace Rights & Compliance Director Margaret Peterson Pinkham and MPS investigator Tiffany Maloney; Statewide Manager of Re-entry Services Jill Forbes, Lowell District Chief Probation Officer Steven Mastandrea, and Woburn District Chief Probation Officer Vincent Piro. Last photo: Director Pinkham.
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Training Unit kicks off Seeing RED | |
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The Massachusetts Probation Service’s Training Unit has introduced the Seeing RED training and created a special first-time training for administrative staff, according to Patti Gavin, Statewide Probation Training Supervisor.
Seeing RED, a facilitated discussion of racial and ethnic disparities in the Criminal Justice Context for the Massachusetts Probation Service, was kicked off last month by Deputy Commissioner of Pretrial Services Pamerson Ifill and Program Manager Jude David.
A first-time program for administrative employees kicked off on September 19. This training features the following sessions: Working Here; Support Staff Orientation: Positive Service Outcomes; Supporting Our Support Staff: Navigating Your Career; and Supporting Our Support Staff: Active Listening, Empathy and Crisis De-escalation Skills.
The Training Division has also provided onboarding programs for 17 Assistant Chief Probation Officers; 48 Associate Probation Officers; 51 Probation Officers and 11 Chief Probation Officers. The Unit also offered the Our MPS training on September 19 with 74 individuals in attendance.
A course titled: “Identifying Violence Risk Among Defendants and Probationers” is currently being offered and an on-demand version will soon be available for the field, according to Ms. Gavin.
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MPS Moves and Recognitions
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Fabiola White is named Deputy Legal Counsel for the
Massachusetts Probation Service
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Fabiola White, Deputy Legal Counsel | |
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Fabiola White has been appointed Deputy Legal Counsel in the Legal Unit of the Massachusetts Probation Service.
Ms. White formerly served as an Administrative Attorney in MPS’ Legal Unit for three years. Prior to her work as Administrative Attorney, Ms. White was an attorney in private practice at the Law Office of Fabiola White for six years. During those years she served as a Middlesex and Suffolk County Bar Advocate where she provided legal representation in Cambridge and Boston Juvenile courts as well as Cambridge and Chelsea District courts.
Attorney White worked in the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office where she was a Legal Assistant in the Appellate Unit and Deputy Director of Community Relations. A former Victim Witness Advocate in the Suffolk Superior Court in the Major Felony Bureau where she was recognized as the Victim Witness Advocate of the year in 2006.
Ms. White earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice at Lasell College, a master’s in Criminal Justice at Suffolk University, and a Juris Doctorate from the Massachusetts School of Law. She was admitted into the Massachusetts Bar in 2012. Ms. White is a member of the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association and a member of Lasell College’s Board of Overseers.
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MPS hires its first investigator
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The Massachusetts Probation Service has appointed its first investigator, Tiffany Maloney.
As MPS’ investigator, Ms. Maloney’s role includes “investigating allegations about the conduct of employees to determine in a professional, fair, impartial, and thorough manner what happened and if the conduct is a violation of any directive, procedure, policy training.” She works under the direct supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Administrative Services, Yvonne Roland.
"Tiffany will play an important and much needed role for the MPS. Historically, staff with other duties and responsibilities were responsible for doing this work," said Deputy Commissioner Roland. "With the creation of this position coupled with Tiffany's many years of investigative experience, this agency is in a much better position to put in place a process and policy for conducting investigations and hearings in a more efficient manner.”
Ms. Maloney previously worked as an investigator in the Center of Expertise in the Human Resources Division and as a Character and Fitness Investigator at the Massachusetts Board of Bar Examiners. She has held the positions of Investigator at the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services; Background Investigator at the National Background Check Unit of the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services. Ms. Maloney also served as a Correctional Program Officer for the Massachusetts Department of Correction, and a Substance Abuse Counselor at Spectrum Health Systems. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Emmanuel College and a master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Curry College.
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WBUR-FM's Radio Boston
https://www.wbur.org/radioboston/2022/09/29/probation-parole-fees-incarceration
The Lawrence Eagle Tribune
https://www.eagletribune.com/content/tncms/live/
The Gloucester Times
https://www.gloucestertimes.com/content/tncms/live/
The Newburyport Daily News
https://www.newburyportnews.com/content/tncms/live/
https://www.law.com/2022/10/13/massachusetts-becomes-third-state-to-eliminate-monthly-probation-supervision-fees/
Commonwealth Magazine
https://commonwealthmagazine.org/the-download/demand-picking-up-a-bit-for-new-omicron-booster-shots-2/#.YzNdHVpCTds.gmail
MassInsider
https://massinsider.net/press-releases/35667
Politico Magazine
https://www.politico.com/search?q=Probation+fees
The Crime Report
https://thecrimereport.org/2022/09/16/massachusetts-scraps-fees-for-probation-and-parole/
This Week in Worcester
https://thisweekinworcester.com/5-things-worcester-fri-september-30-2022/
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Is there information you would like to see featured in the quarterly MPS Pipeline or The MPS Messenger Blog?
Do you have comments or suggestions?
Please contact:
Coria Holland, MPS Communications Director
coria.holland@jud.state.ma.us
Office: 617-624-9319; CP: 617-429-5629
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