Utilization of Community Justice Support
Centers Statistical Report
Fiscal Year 2023
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Trial Court
Office of Community Corrections
January 2024
Administration
Honorable Jeffrey A. Locke, Chief Justice of the Trial Court
Thomas G. Ambrosino, Trial Court Administrator
Edward J. Dolan, Commissioner of Probation
Michael Coelho, Deputy Commissioner of Programs
Vincent L. Lorenti, Director of Community Corrections
Patricia M. Horne, Deputy Director of Community Corrections
Prepared by
Janice Neiman, Performance Analyst
Office of Community Corrections
1 Ashburton Place, Room 405
Boston, MA 02108
Voice: 617-788-3500
Fax: 617-936-2428
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Acknowledgments
This report would not have been possible without the cooperation of all Community Justice
Support Center administrators. The Office of Community Corrections would like to acknowledge
that cooperation and assistance as follows:
Barnstable County Middlesex County
Terence Ryan, OCC Program Manager, Barnstable Jessica Keaney, OCC Program Manager, Framingham
Old Colony YMCA Jessica Alves, OCC Program Manager, Lowell
Jennifer Fay, Treatment Manager, Barnstable Sean Walsh, OCC Program Manager, Woburn
Baystate Community Services
Berkshire County Carmen Ocasio, Treatment Manager, Woburn
Kyle Schadler, OCC Program Manager, Pittsfield Old Colony YMCA
Old Colony YMCA Shante Berry-Brown, Treatment Manager, Lowell
Paul Perry, Treatment Manager, Pittsfield Social Services Network
Justin Riley, Treatment Manager, Framingham
Bristol County
Scott Gomes, OCC Program Manager, Dartmouth Norfolk County
Filomena DaVeiga, OCC Program Manager, Taunton Jenna Jacobson, OCC Program Manager, Quincy
Old Colony YMCA Baystate Community Services
Meredith Hatfield, Treatment Manager, Dartmouth Andrea Kane, Treatment Manager, Quincy
Melissa Cardona, Treatment Manager, Taunton Norfolk County Sheriff’s Department
Sheriff Patrick McDermott
Essex County
Old Colony YMCA Plymouth County
Christina McKenzie, Treatment Manager, Lawrence Christine Costa, OCC Program Manager, Plymouth
Angela Orlandi, OCC Program Manager, Brockton
Franklin County Baystate Community Services
Debbie Truong, OCC Program Manager, Greenfield Christy Diller, Treatment Manager, Plymouth
Franklin County Sheriff’s Department Old Colony YMCA
Sheriff Christopher Donelan Sofia Alves, Treatment Manager, Brockton
Hampden County Suffolk County
Meghan McBride, OCC Program Manager, Springfield Kimberly Albin, OCC Program Manager, Boston
Old Colony YMCA Baystate Community Services
Christine Lattouf, Treatment Manager, Springfield Iris Hailey, Treatment Manager, Boston
Hampshire County Worcester County
John Leahy, Program Manager, Northampton Mark Leary, Program Manager, Fitchburg
Hampshire County Sheriff’s Department Ana Calderon, Program Manager, Worcester
Sheriff Patrick Cahillane Worcester County Sheriff’s Department
Sheriff Lew Evangelidis
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................... 4
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 6
Intensive Supervision with Treatment (IST) ....................................................................................... 7
Pretrial Treatment............................................................................................................................... 7
Pretrial Services ................................................................................................................................. 8
Standard Probation Supervision ........................................................................................................ 8
Honorable Ralph Gants Re-entry Services Program......................................................................... 8
Methodology........................................................................................................................................... 9
Sample ............................................................................................................................................... 9
Reporting Period ................................................................................................................................ 9
Data Collection ................................................................................................................................... 9
Data Quality and Analysis ................................................................................................................ 10
Findings ................................................................................................................................................ 11
Average Population .......................................................................................................................... 11
Admissions ....................................................................................................................................... 13
Programming .................................................................................................................................... 17
Employment ..................................................................................................................................... 20
Education ......................................................................................................................................... 21
Discharges ....................................................................................................................................... 22
Drug and Alcohol Screening ............................................................................................................ 25
Community Service .......................................................................................................................... 26
Ancillary Support Services ............................................................................................................... 30
Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................... 33
Appendix A. Community Justice Support Centers Included in Report ................................................ 34
Appendix B. Admissions by Type and Center in FY2023.................................................................... 35
Appendix C. Admissions by Supervising Agency and Center in FY2023 ........................................... 36
Appendix D. Admissions by Referral Source and Center in FY2023 .................................................. 37
Appendix E. Admissions by Age and Center in FY2023 ..................................................................... 42
Appendix F. Admissions by Gender and Center in FY2023 ................................................................ 43
Appendix G. Admissions by Race/Ethnicity and Center in FY2023 .................................................... 44
Appendix H. Descriptions of Reasons for Discharge .......................................................................... 45
Appendix I. Reasons for Discharge by Center in FY2023 ................................................................... 46
Appendix J. Drug/Alcohol Screen Results by Center in FY2023 ........................................................ 48
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Executive Summary
The Office of Community Corrections (OCC) is required by statute (c. 211F § 5) to submit an
annual report presenting the performance of community corrections operations. This report
provides data on the utilization of the 17 Community Justice Support Centers in operation in
Massachusetts in Fiscal Year 2023.
Key Results
There were 1,502 total admissions to Community Justice Support Centers in FY23. Among
those admissions:
Supervising agency: 65% Probation, 7% Parole, 23% Re-Entry, 5% Sheriff’s Department
Gender: 78% Male, 22% Female
Age: 12% 18-24 years, 35% 25-34 years, 31% 35-44 years, 12% 45-54 years, 8% 55-64
years, 2% 65+ years, <1% not reported
Race/Ethnicity: 48% White, 18% Hispanic or Latino, 16% Black/African American, 1%
Other, 1% Asian, 16% Not Known/Not Reported
On average, 571 people participated in programming at the Community Justice Support
Centers weekly state-wide. This includes:
Total programming hours attended across all Centers: 53,728 hours
Average program attendance rate across all Centers: 81%
Average weekly programming hours attended per participant across all Centers: 1.9
hours
Average weekly CBT hours attended per participant across all Centers: 1.5 hours
Community Justice Support Center participants made 223 educational and employment
achievements through assistance provided at the Support Center.
Placements in part-time or full-time jobs: 177
Partial or full HiSET/GEDs awarded: 46
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There were 19,545 specimens screened for illicit drugs and 899 Breath Alcohol Tests
(BAT) conducted.
Average drug screen/BAT compliance rate across all Centers: 76%
There were 1,335 total discharges from Community Justice Support Centers. Of those
discharges:
Discharge reasons: 24% Removed by Supervising Agency, 19% Noncompliance, 17%
Inactive, 10% Probation/Parole Term Completed, 8% Re-entry, 7% Transition to
Standard Supervision, 4% Other, 3% Probation Referral, 3% Transferred, 2% Pretrial
Services, 2% Pretrial Treatment, 1% Placed in Treatment, <1% Moved to a Specialty
Court, <1% Deceased, <1% Referred to CJSC, <1% Unable to Continue Due to Medical
Issues
81% were discharged without criminal justice intervention, while 19% were discharged
with criminal justice intervention
There were 2,121 referrals to the Community Service Program. Among those referrals:
Gender: 76% of the referrals were male and 24% were female
Age: 99% were adults and 1% were juveniles
Average community service attendance rate across all CJSCs: 68%
Community Justice Support Centers provided a forum for 53,525 ancillary service contacts for
those on probation and parole.
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Introduction
The Office of Community Corrections (OCC) supports safe communities by delivering
community-based rehabilitative interventions such as Cognitive Behavioral Treatment (CBT),
education, employment counseling, clinical case management, and community service
opportunities through a network of Community Justice Support Centers (CJSC) and the
Community Service Program (CSP).
Since its inception in 1996, the OCC has had 27 Community Justice Support Centers across the
Commonwealth. In September 2022, the Greenfield CJSC opened via an Interdepartmental
Service Agreement with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department. Utilization data were first
submitted by Greenfield CJSC the week ending October 8, 2022.
Figure 1 shows the number of Community Justice Support Centers in operation at the end of
each fiscal year. At the end of FY23, there were 17 CJSCs in operation. For a list of CJSCs and
their opening dates, please see Appendix A.
Figure 1
Community Justice Support Centers, FY1998-FY2023
30 27
25 25 25
Number of Support Centers
25 23 22 22 22
21 21 21
20 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18
16 17
15
15
11
10 7
5 2
0
Fiscal Year
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The Support Centers’ interventions incorporate evidence-based practices that are designed to
reduce recidivism while relying less on jail and prison. CJSC participants access these services
through several different pathways:
1. Intensive Supervision with Treatment (IST),
2. Pretrial Treatment,
3. Pretrial Services,
4. Standard Probation, or
5. Re-entry.
1. Intensive Supervision with Treatment (IST)
Intensive Supervision with Treatment (IST) combines services such as treatment, education,
and employment counseling, with accountability measures such as drug and alcohol screening,
community service, electronic monitoring, and day reporting. IST is designed for those who are
at high-risk for recidivism and either have not been successful on traditional probation or parole
or are suitable for an alternative to incarceration. IST participants receive a comprehensive
assessment to determine the needs they have that are most likely to contribute to future criminal
conduct. CJSC staff work with the client to develop a treatment plan to address those need
areas. Once the client and staff have determined an appropriate treatment plan, the client
reports to the CJSC to attend classes such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), HiSET/GED
preparation, and employment retention. CJSC staff meet weekly to review client progress and
provide a formal review for the client and the court monthly. Clients who are assessed to be at
the highest risk level typically need to complete more than 250 hours of CBT programming to
successfully transition to standard supervision. Clients can work with staff to determine the pace
at which they complete CBT hours. Those who attend the CJSC more frequently can complete
their hours in a shorter period. Clients who complete CBT hours, attend classes regularly, and
demonstrate pro-social change through positive interaction, employment, or educational
achievement can transition from weekly CJSC attendance as part of IST to standard probation
or parole supervision. IST can be imposed by the judge as an alternative to incarceration, by the
parole board as a means of re-entry, by a parole field supervisor as an alternative to detention,
or by the Department of Correction (DOC) or House of Correction (HOC) as a means of
graduated release.
2. Pretrial Treatment
Many people who come before the court for criminal cases are in immediate need of treatment
for drug or alcohol use, or are looking for support with housing, employment, or educational
needs. Pretrial Treatment allows a person to come to the CJSC during the pretrial phase of their
case to engage in the same Intensive Supervision with Treatment as someone who was
sentenced to the CJSC by the court. By engaging in a plan to address these issues early in the
process, before the court has entered a final judgment, they are able to get back on track,
shorten the time it takes to resolve their case, and hopefully get a more favorable outcome. With
the defendant’s consent the court can order the defendant to report to the CJSC for Pretrial
Treatment supervised by a probation officer as a category B condition of release under G.L. c.
276 §§ 57, 58, and 58A.
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3. Pretrial Services
When a person makes their first appearance before the court on a criminal case, the court must
decide if there are any measures necessary to ensure that the person returns to court for their
next court date. If the court decides that the person needs some support to ensure that they will
return to court it may order the person to report to the CJSC for Pretrial Services supervised by
a probation officer as a category B condition of release under G. L. c. 276 §§ 57, 58, or 58A.
Pretrial Services allow a person to remain at home while their case is pending as long as they
report to the CJSC periodically and obey any other conditions of release placed on them by the
court. When a person first comes to the CJSC for Pretrial Services, they will meet with CJSC
staff to determine their reporting schedule, discuss any services they would like the CJSC to
help them with, and be advised of the next time they are due to report to court. A person
ordered to participate in Pretrial Services is not obligated to participate in any services at the
CJSC. However, if they are interested in obtaining treatment for SUD, or help with education or
employment, the CJSC will help them obtain that service from a community-based provider and
case manage it so that their participation can be reported