Public Defenseless 80: Staff Assaults, A Decade in Solitary, and the Many Horrors of Massachusetts' Prisons w/Elizabeth Matos
From the denial of basic healthcare needs to decades in solitary confinement, prisoners stuck in the Massachusetts prison system face near daily deprivation of basic human and Constitutional rights. Today, Hunter spoke with Elizabeth Matos to understand how her organization, Prisoners' Legal Services of Massachusetts, challenges this system of relentless brutality.
Guest:
Elizabeth Matos, Executive Director, Prisoners' Legal Services of Massachusetts
Key Topics:
How Lizz's family history got her into this line of work [6:55]
The problems in Massachusetts' Prisons [10:09]
Are there other organizations working to solve this problem? [14:17]
What do communities miss out on when they don't have a PLSMA type org [17:12]
The lack of healthcare in Massachusetts' Prisons [19:35]
Specific challenges females face in regard to lack of healthcare [22:41]
How the legislature is responding to this issue [29:30]
Staff Assaults in Massachusetts' Prisons [33:56]
Solutions for the Staff Assault problem [41:27]
Other issues with confinement in Massachusetts' Prisons [47:50]
Issues with Solitary Confinement [56:00]
Race and Equity Initiatives [1:02:00]
The year ahead for PLSMA [1:06:00]
Ensuring the voices of the incarcerated are heard when crafting solutions [1:11:00]
Resources:
Email Lizz
PLSMA
Walpole Prison Riot
https://nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu/content/us-prisoners-take-control-walpole-prison-1973
Annie Dookhan
Contact Hunter Parnell:
hwparnell@publicdefenseless.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod