Massachusetts Department of Corrections Commissioner Harold Clarke is leaving the state

Published Oct 09 2010, 04:03 PM by Carly Carioli

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Virginia, he's your problem now. 

Commissioner Harold Clarke, the top administrator of Massachusetts Department of Corrections, has taken a job as the director of Virginia's Department of Corrections. 

Last month, the Phoenix published an investigation into one of the Mass DOC's biggest failures: the Old Colony Correctional Facility [OCCC], which has been plagued by suicides, overcrowding, and allegations of human-rights abuses. The DOC declined to make Clarke available to respond to our story, but maybe the Virginia media will have better luck getting some answers out of him. Here's a taste: 

In the past year, several elected officials and DOC Commissioner Harold Clarke have visited OCCC to address problems between Caucasian officers and minority inmates. Concurrently, at least two female employees were escorted off the grounds after being caught having sex with convicts. In a state where convicts reportedly kill themselves at more than three times the national rate, in 2010 OCCC is the facility where prisoners are most likely to commit suicide. Attorneys for a recently deceased prisoner who hung himself there say the inmate complained up until his death about being denied his anti-psychotic drug regimen as retribution.

According to documents obtained by the Phoenix and interviews done with prisoners, problems between convicts and OCCC officers have escalated in the midst of what appears to be chronic institutional dysfunction. Visits from top lawmakers including Governor Deval Patrick have failed to stem what activists allege is systemic abuse of black and Latino prisoners, who comprise 54 percent of the center's population. Among the allegations: officers intentionally disrespect such religious and cultural items as Korans; concerted efforts are made to suppress educational opportunities for minority prisoners; and physical and institutional retribution is carried out against convicts who file grievances. A group of black prisoners at OCCC who organize as the African Heritage Coalition (AHC) say they have been especially targeted. Internal reports show that this past winter officers cancelled a long-planned Kwanzaa celebration on false premises; inmate advocates perceive this as a dangerous symbolic gesture.

This all comes at a time when tensions between officers and administrators are particularly high due to department-wide overcrowding, and when severe financial restraints are causing further problems. For the first quarter of 2010, the Mass DOC operated at 141 percent of its designated capacity, exceeding the intended average daily statewide population by more than 3000 prisoners. OCCC currently holds about 755 convicts — nearly 300 more than the facility was designed for. In 2009, the state could not afford to pay Bridgewater an annual $187,000 prison mitigation payment that the town uses to protect itself in the event of a jailbreak. In July, the Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union (MCOFU) sued the DOC for overcrowding, alleging that the department is illegally and irresponsibly double-bunking convicts at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley. The case was dismissed because the union could not prove administrative guilt, but overcrowding at commonwealth facilities remains an ongoing worry: it's the rare issue that officers and progressive prison abolitionists mostly agree on . . .

. . . With aggravation building between inmates and administrators, in June of 2009 Commissioner Clarke and Governor Patrick visited OCCC to interview both sides. Among the grievances reported by inmates at the meeting, and that were recorded by AHC members, including Roxbury native Mac Hudson: OCCC employees "use policies and practices to discriminate against minorities in every facet of their institutional life," from job assignments, re-entry programs, and visitation policies to meal quality and recreational opportunities. Most damning were allegations that officers conspired against certain groups and individuals by manipulating the disciplinary process. Yet the DOC has no official report from this meeting, and refused to make the commissioner available for comment. Instead, a spokesperson tells the Phoenix that "Clarke is not aware of such [racial] tension."

READ: Old Colony Correctional Center has been plagued by suicide, overcrowding, and brutality — and things are only getting worse

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4 Comments

• Darrell Jones said:

  This is an outcry to Mr. Harold Clarke.  I just got word that you resigned on this Saturday October 9th, 2010. How could you come to Massachusetts, sell us the hope that something will change, then the fight gets thick and one day after the report of a black male being jumped at this Prison (MCI Norfolk) and beaten badly- all the Spanish and Black inmates are walking around here worried about it. I have tried to tame them and keep telling them that something is going to change so they should “hold tight”.  How could you not wait until the Governor election was over to announce that?  Why now?  Why did you come here and promise reform or is this the only State that can not be reformed? This happened with Boone and Dennehy as they were trying to reform the Prisons and now you leave in the middle of reforming it after everyone spent so much to get you here.  After you came and met with all the programs and promised them a new agenda? Where do we stand now? What will happen to your 5 year agenda? There is a fear here and I feel it and soon enough so is my community out there.  The same way they ran Dennehy out of here; it is all coming back.  I know I am supposed to be nobody because I am incarcerated, but YOU were supposed to be a man and that is why I refer to the article you were in where you talk about being a Black Belt.  Well I am in martial arts too and that is why I say you can not do anything or change anyone’s life with a “White Belt” spirit.  Now that you got paid to come here and do this job, what happens to everybody?  Who takes control now? Are we going back to the people who supported the “let them break rocks” era?  Do we come back and be retaliated for speaking out? What about all the kids who come out of here and go back to our community and do the killings because they were already coming out of your facilities depressed, hopeless and angry  and felt unprotected in the protection you promised?  Are we all supposed to live in fear every day? I rather die at their hands than live in fear and I rather be who I am today than resemble anybody that calls themselves a leader but sits back and lets this stuff happen.

  Every leader out there should be questioning what is going on and your departure. What about Reverend Dickerson and all the other ones you walked with and made us think all these things were going to happen? What about your “Future Search” project?  Who follows up on that?  We are supposed to be able to speak out and I can’t  from jail because you have every type of rule that says that media can not come in here and talk to somebody- and if I talk in here then it is a demonstration, so that is why I communicate  this way- because I don’t want to let you trap me.  But you and I both know the truth; we are dealing with a system that can’t be changed- why else does everyone leave? What kind of culture are you leaving us to?

  I am calling on the Governor right now as it is his duty to protect us and he should get somebody to watch over all of this while you are transitioning out.  We urgently need an Oversight Committee.  You are the CASE for an Oversight Committee – so all these activists and Legislators such as Kay Khan that have talked about an Oversight Committee, they need to put it on the Governor’s Desk first thing Monday morning because what are we being turned over to?

  I have been working with these men behind bars and have a proven track record and I have never been paid a dime to do it and have risked my life to stand up and let you know what has been happening. Now what do I tell these Kids?  I know you say I am not supposed to lead and I am no leader- but someone must tell them something!  The Boston Police is telling you that these men are coming back out and there is an entire new culture and threat to our communities. They have no “code” because you will not allow people like myself to talk to them, make change and slow down this violence.

  I was able to get gang-members together to speak out against this violence.  I was able to get them on albums and working together, I was able to direct them into a positive space- just check my record. Let’s tell people the truth! I am just one man and there are others who do it, but you are the only one who has the OBLIGATION to do so!  And Governor Patrick: Is everyone who was down the ladder now move up? The same people who have been under question for so many years and now that they are getting close to retirement it is pay back time.

  I don’t fear because I already lost my son to the grave and I know what is going on in my community and why those mothers keep saying “why?”  I know what they have lost.  The mothers just figure that it is “just happening” to them but it isn’t- the guys in here are fighting, You left them with double bunking- it was your idea and that created many enemies that weren’t before. And now you have somewhere to go? How are you going to help another prison system when you couldn’t even help this one?

  I am a human being too and I have a right to a voice. The President said there will be no “silencing of dissent”  but you want to silence it so bad.  Did someone run you out of here on the low as well? What about all the Reverends who stood around you? What are they going to do now? Will they stand up now and go to the Governor and demand an Oversight Committee so we have someone watching over these Black and Spanish boys while they are going through all of this.  Or do you think we should all die in fear without ever speaking out and they just “own” us?  The Geneva Convention talks about this; it says it is Genocide to turn over one race to another. In this system everything is a secret. Then everyone asks why they come out as “urban terrorists” who don’t love their country….how could they? We don’t give them a chance to love anything or show them what love is about- everything around them is hate hate hate.  What you are doing is wrong and at least Dennehy stayed long enough to get attacked.

  I know the fact that I was convicted will be immediately thrown my way- but all you have to do is look at my case to see what happened- so I am ready for those attacks. My son is in the grave because these guys are always retaliating and you will not do an independent investigation – a TRULY independent Investigation- Massachusetts is hiding a secret and I am calling on the Governor right now to watch over this because the “Commissioner” route has not been working! To all you mothers out there I am telling you WHY this is happening.

  Clarke, you knew what happened at Old Colony and you even slowed down the video project and you should just release everything- you knew there was retaliation and every time in every article I did I said that I would give you a chance to investigate and a chance to do something.  Once you dug in deep enough, you realized you couldn’t do anything about this and they [the Corrections Officer Union and those who have been part of the administration for many years] have been running this and you can’t “fight the power”.  That is the why our black youth does not look up to the leaders- because of people like you.  They may call you “Commissioner” but you are first a man, and we are both going to see God and when that happens the truth will be revealed.  And now you want to go… I know what you are doing….I have seen it before…and I am willing to tell the truth.

  I am calling on the Governor and these Reverends to listen to Kay Khan and get an Oversight Committee before we all die in here because Massachusetts Corrections is being run like a gangster organization.

  And you Commissioner Clarke ought to go to another Karate school and start over because your martial arts is backwards.

  Darrell Jones

  PS.  I am speaking out this way because I know better than to set myself up by talking to the men here.

  October 9, 2010 10:47 PM

• A curious individual said:

  Hey Darrell

  You are thre because you broke the law and now you are worried about it. People, get a grip, a convicted felon is talking this way. I have a better idea, shut up, do your time and when you get out do something for the law that you abused

  October 11, 2010 8:59 PM

• zhen1827 said:

  I was able to get gang-members together to speak out against this violence.

  //www.pandora-au.org/

  October 11, 2010 10:46 PM

• Honeybee said:

  A Curious Individual, just because they're inmates, doesn't mean they deserved to be abused by DOC adminstrators and officers.

  November 22, 2010 11:24 PM

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