Bail trends under scrutiny as new panel eyes reforms WBUR

Cindy Friedman

BOSTON (SHNS) – More than a year after the state’s high court ruled judges setting bail must consider a defendant’s ability to pay, state officials are embarking on an examination of the bail system in Massachusetts that will consider measures including potential impacts of eliminating cash bail.

A massive April 2018 criminal justice reform law made a series of changes around bail, in keeping with a high court decision in the 2017 case Brangan v. Commonwealth.

Sen. Cindy Friedman of Arlington and Rep. Claire Cronin of Easton co-chair the commission. On Thursday, at the panel’s first meeting, members outlined what data and information they hope to delve into during their study.

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NFL reveals its hypocrisy in Josh Gordon case Boston Globe

Cindy Friedman

Kudos to Nestor Ramos (“In Josh Gordon case, a troubled league fails a troubled man,” BostonGlobe.com, Dec. 22) for calling out the disgusting hypocrisy of the NFL. More troubling in the response to Josh Gordon’s struggle with a serious disease, is their complicity in demonizing mental illness vs. treating it like the illness it is.

If Gordon were taking medication for any physical ailment, the league would not blink. They don’t seem to have any trouble addressing the symptoms of physical pain that their players have to live with (drugs are certainly part of that). But their neanderthal and dangerous response to Gordon’s actions not only hurt him but hurt the many who suffer with a devastating and difficult-to-treat condition.

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Essex, Suffolk sheriffs ask to join addiction treatment program for inmates Boston Globe

Cindy Friedman

Essex and Suffolk counties plan to join five other counties in a pilot program providing medications to opioid-addicted inmates, a sign that correctional officials’ resistance to the treatments may be yielding to public pressure and legal action in Massachusetts. A federal district judge last month ordered Essex Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger to provide methadone to a prospective inmate, saying that failing to do so could violate the Americans with Disabilities Act and the constitutional prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.

The sheriffs’ request was welcomed by state Senator Cindy F. Friedman, chairwoman of the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use, and Recovery. Friedman said she suspected the Essex suit was a “driving force” behind the request, but the motivation doesn’t matter. “I’m completely happy about it,” she said.

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Friedman Backs Bill To Extend Unemployment Benefits Burlington Patch

Cindy Friedman

On Monday, December 3, Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington) voiced her strong support for the nearly 1,250 Massachusetts workers and their families that have been impacted by the National Grid lockout. In a mass email to constituents, Friedman said she has been in regular contact with National Grid and the United Steel Workers Unions regarding the ongoing contract negotiations and remains “troubled that National Grid has been unable to put forward an agreeable contract, and am frustrated by reports of continuous safety violations on gas lines.”

“I fear that National Grid is using the expiring unemployment benefits to unjustly improve their bargaining position, thus preventing the negotiation of a fair contract,” Friedman said. “By preventing a trained and qualified workforce from returning to work, National Grid has placed citizens across the Commonwealth who rely on this public utility at risk. That’s why I believe it is appropriate for the state to intervene on behalf of the locked out workers, and I intend to support these pieces of legislation to ensure that a fair contract can be negotiated.”

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An update on National Grid and protecting locked out workers A message from Senator Cindy Friedman

Cindy Friedman

Over the last few weeks, I have heard regularly from many of you regarding your concerns with National Grid’s lockout and the impact it has had on over 1,250 Massachusetts workers and their families. I wanted to provide you an update and let you know that I have been in regular contact with National Grid and the United Steel Workers Unions regarding the ongoing contract negotiations. I remain troubled that National Grid has been unable to put forward an agreeable contract, and am frustrated by reports of continuous safety violations on gas lines. As the cold winter months approach, it is especially imperative that the locked out workers be able to return to work.

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Sen. Friedman continues fight against opioid crisis Billerica Minuteman

Cindy Friedman

After playing a major role in spearheading opioid legislation that was signed into law this summer, Sen. Cindy Friedman, D-Arlington, is working in collaboration with several health care professionals, law enforcement officers, elected officials and others to explore more ways to decrease opioid-related overdose deaths across Massachusetts.

“I’m proud of the work we did on the opioid bill, but our work did not end when the bill was passed into law,” said Friedman, who co-chairs the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery. “This epidemic continues to impact residents throughout the commonwealth, so it is critically important that we find more ways to reduce harm and save lives. I’m eager to serve on these commissions, collaborate with expert stakeholders and analyze best practices for our ongoing fight against this epidemic.”

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Judge’s injunction would allow inmate to receive methadone treatment MassLive

Cindy Friedman

In a closely watched case involving addiction treatment for prisoners, a federal judge on Monday granted a preliminary injunction that requires Essex County officials to provide a soon-to-be-incarcerated Ipswich man with access to physician-prescribed methadone treatment. In her ruling on Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Denise Casper said that in weighing Geoffrey Pesce’s request for relief, the court considered the likelihood that his case would succeed and whether relief was in the public interest. The judge concluded that Pesce “will be irreparably harmed if denied methadone treatment while incarcerated.”

A law signed in August by Gov. Charlie Baker will bring medication-assisted treatment to new institutions around the state, introducing it to Department of Correction prisoners, offering it to lower-level offenders in five counties, and mandating that emergency rooms and involuntary commitment facilities can provide it. Medication-assisted treatment can include methadone, which helps stave off the effects of withdrawal, and Vivitrol, which helps prevent relapse.

“For the houses of correction there will be five pilots for continuing treatment, for people who come in with a valid prescription or under medical care,” Sen. Cindy Friedman, the Senate chairwoman of the Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Prevention, said when the bill was agreed upon.

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Statement in support of climate change initiatives

Cindy Friedman

I have always been supportive of policy initiatives that seek to address climate change and protect our environment. After reading the recent New York Times report outlining the future of our environment and the impact that rising food shortages, wildfires and dying coral reefs will have on our livelihood by the year 2040, it is even more apparent just how serious the threat of climate change is. If we don’t act now, we will put our children and grandchildren in serious danger. We must take real action with a sense of urgency so that we can build a sustainable future for generations to come. The federal government may fail to address, or even acknowledge, this threat to society, but Massachusetts will not. No matter what happens, we will continue to lead on clean energy efficiency and pass commonsense measures that keep our state moving forward. This session, I was proud to join my colleagues in supporting the Clean Energy Future bill that passed the Legislature. The bill will increase the use of renewable energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and create jobs in the green economy. As state Senator, I will continue to remain firm in my commitment to creating a cleaner future for all and advocate for legislation that will protect our planet and create a healthier environment for everyone. Our lives depend on it.