A WHO’S WHO crowd of criminal justice leaders gathered at the Seaport Hotel on Monday for the annual fundraising breakfast for the Chelsea-based nonprofit Roca, which works to steer high-risk young people toward positive pursuits. Addressing the audience, Gov. Charlie Baker reflected on recent efforts to increase prison education—a practice that has long been understood to […]
Ben Forman
Benjamin Forman is MassINC’s research director. He coordinates the development of the organization’s research agenda and oversees production of research reports. Ben has authored a number of MassINC publications and he speaks frequently to organizations and media across Massachusetts.
Posted inEconomy, Opinion
Providing opportunities for all
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER introduced a major economic development package last week. Reading the tea leaves, one conclusion can be drawn for sure: The administration is serious about empowering its leaders to put forward bold ideas. Line by line, the legislation reflects the energy and insight for which Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Jay Ash […]
Posted inEducation
Universal, broader screenings of students needed
THE OPIOID LEGISLATION taken up by the House this week excludes a controversial provision from the Senate bill requiring public schools to screen all students in grades 7 through 10 for substance abuse problems. As the bill moves to conference committee, an opening remains to build on the spirit of the Senate’s screening provision with […]
Posted inEconomy, Gambling
Moving beyond Boston
SPRINGFIELD WAS ONCE synonymous with innovation. Today the city that produced the first tire, the first car, the first motorcycle, and the first commercial radio station is counting on a casino to drive growth. Springfield’s lost industrial prowess comes at a cost to the entire Pioneer Valley economy. Gateway Cities in other parts of the state […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Opinion, The Back Story
Fact-checking the state’s incarceration rate
In the debate over mandatory minimum sentences and corrections reform, those resisting major changes say there is little need for wholesale reform because the state incarceration rate is so low. The available data suggest they are correct, but only if that information is viewed in a narrow context. Figures compiled by the US Department of […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
We need to reverse course on mandatory minimums
AT LAST MONTH’S second annual Massachusetts Criminal Justice Reform Summit, we heard two opposing views on the public safety impact of mandatory sentences for drug offenders. One camp, represented by Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Ralph Gants, held that the practice has been a costly failure, with particularly dire consequences for minority communities. The other […]
Posted inOlympics, Opinion
How about a Gateway Cities Olympics?
EVEN NAYSAYERS BELIEVE the 2024 Olympic bid is a rare opportunity to generate fresh ideas about the future of the Commonwealth. For a productive conversation, a shared understanding of priorities is required. It will always be hard to generate consensus in a state with so much diversity, but if there is one issue on which […]
Posted inEducation, Opinion
Collaborative leadership up against the charter school cap
Leaders in Brockton and Fitchburg are distressed by the reaction to last week’s news that charters will not be awarded to applicants looking to open new schools in their communities. This episode is yet another example of how the debate around charters has become toxic. Having witnessed how hard educators in Brockton and Fitchburg have […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Secretary of State John Kerry soldiers on
As John Kerry embarks on his “Thank you, Massachusetts” tour, his move out of the shadow of Ted Kennedy is complete. While Kennedy’s heart was solidly in Massachusetts, the Vietnam veteran and son of a Foreign Service officer, focused on the world beyond the Bay State. At his confirmation hearing, Kerry commented that in his […]
Posted inEconomy, Opinion
Patrick’s new spending needs ‘place’ component
FOR WELL OVER A DECADE now, squeezing growth out of the Massachusetts economy has felt a bit like getting that last ounce of toothpaste from the tube. Gov. Deval Patrick proposes to change this terribly frustrating challenge by calling for big new spending on education and infrastructure. To accelerate growth and expand opportunity, this investment […]