NO NEW WOMEN’S PRISON. Now or ever.
We are Families for Justice as Healing and The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls. Our mission is to end the incarceration of women and girls.
Our 2025-26 policy priorities are the Prison Moratorium, Elder and Medical Parole, Decriminalizing drugs, and the MA Survivors Act. Read more here.
★WAYS TO GET INVOLVED: bit.ly/nonewprisonvolunteer
★CONTACT: mhanora@justiceashealing.org
TAKE ACTION:
1) Demand YOUR SENATOR work to pass the MA Survivors Act
2) Pressure Legislative Leaders
3) Demand YOUR REP Immediately Pass Elder and Medical Parole
4) Demand YOUR SENATOR work to Immediately Pass Medical Parole
5) Email the Governor’s Office
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★ Demand Your Senator Work to Pass the MA Survivors Act
Please call or email your Senator, and urge them to tell Ways and Means Chair Senator Rodrigues to pass the MA Survivors Act immediately, which is in his committee.
★ Find your legislators here: https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator
Example Email or Call Script:
Dear Senator ______________,
I live in your district, and I am asking you to work with Ways and Means Chair Senator Rodrigues to immediately pass “An Act Relative to Justice for Survivors”.
This bill would allow survivors of domestic and sexual violence and abuse opportunities for diversion and alternative sentences. Similar versions of this bill have already passed in New York and Oklahoma. Let’s make Massachusetts a leader in supporting survivors and interrupting cycles of violence.
Please speak with Ways and Means Chair Senator Rodrigues about passing the MA Survivors Act as soon as possible before the end of the session. The bill is in Ways and Means.
Sincerely,
Name, Town
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★ Pressure Legislative Leaders
Senate President Spilka, Speaker of the House Mariano, and Chairs of Ways and Means will be setting the legislative agenda for the end of the formal session.
The good news is all our key policies are sitting in Ways and Means ready for action. We have until the end of July to pass the #FreeHer bills - so it’s time to ramp up the pressure on leadership.
★Call and Email Senate President Spilka
(617) 722-1500
★Call and Email Speaker of the House Mariano
(617) 722-2500
★Call and Email Ways and Means House Chair Michlewitz
Aaron.M.Michlewitz@mahouse.gov
(617) 722-2990
★Call and Email Ways and Means Senate Chair Michael Rodrigues
Michael.Rodrigues@masenate.gov
(617) 722-1114
(IF YOU ARE THEIR CONSTITUENT BE SURE TO LET THEM KNOW!)
Example Email Script:
“Hello my name is _______________, and I am contacting you because bills I care about are sitting in Ways and Means waiting to be passed:
An Act Relative to Elder and Medical Parole (H.2693),
An Act to Build Restorative Family and Community Connection (H.2591), and
An Act relative to Human Rights and Improved Outcomes for Incarcerated People (H.2608)
An Act Relative to Justice for Survivors (S.1256)
An Act Establishing a Jail and Prison Moratorium (H.3422, S.2944)
An Act to Promote Public Safety and Better Outcomes for Youths (S.1061)
Recently, more than 100 organizations signed a letter to your office supporting these bills and other urgently needed reforms for safety, justice, and equity: https://bit.ly/WaysAndMeansLetter
It is important to me that you act now on these bills so they can be passed before the end of the session. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Name
You can also customize your message!
- On the phone, let them know you will email the letter!
- Tell them if you are a constituent
- Share how you are directly impacted by these policies and/or why they are important to you
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★ Demand YOUR REP Immediately Pass Elder and Medical Parole
Please email your State Representative and ask them to pass Elder and Medical Parole H. 2693 immediately.
★ Find your legislators here: https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator
Example Email Script:
Dear Representative ______________,
I am your constituent and I am asking you to work to immediately pass H. 2693 “An Act Relative to Elder and Medical Parole.” The current medical parole system is inhumane and is not working as the legislature intended, and this bill will address serious issues with access and equity.
Incarcerating elderly and dying people is cruel and extremely expensive. Passing this bill would also establish another essential release mechanism for the oldest people in the DOC who have already served decades and are not a threat to public safety. A recent cost analysis showed it would save $25 million a year. Please take immediate action to pass this bill and prevent unnecessary suffering, and ensure the dignity of very sick and dying people in the DOC.
Please get back to me to let me know if the Rep would vote yes to pass the bill if it reaches a floor vote.
Sincerely,
Name, Town
_____________________________________________
★ Demand Your Senator Urge the Senate President to Immediately Pass Medical Parole
Recent media coverage highlighted the cruelty of the current medical parole system, and is an important tool to put pressure on our legislators to pass urgently needed reforms.
Please call or email your Senator, and urge them to tell Senate President Karen Spilka to pass Medical Parole immediately.
★ Find your legislators here: https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator
Example Email Script:
Dear Senator ______________,
I live in your district, and I am asking you to work with Senate President Karen Spilka to immediately pass “An Act to Ensure Access to Medical Parole.” The current medical parole system is not working as the legislature intended, and this bill will address serious issues with access and equity.
I wanted to make sure you saw recent coverage in the media about the DOC failing to release eligible people on medical parole, and allowing people to die in custody while waiting for a decision, or even after they were already approved. Please look at this important coverage:
Incarcerating elderly and dying people is cruel and extremely expensive. Passing this bill would also establish another essential release mechanism for the oldest people in the DOC who have already served decades and are not a threat to public safety. A recent cost analysis showed it would also save $25 million a year. Please take immediate action to pass this bill to prevent unnecessary suffering and ensure the dignity of very sick and dying people in the DOC.
The current system is inhumane, and would be fixed by passing Medical Parole. The Senate President should lead the MA Senate to pass the bill as soon as possible, so please talk with her as soon as possible about it.
Sincerely,
Name, Town
_____________________________________________
In a moment of federal crisis, let’s call on our Governor to invest in communities, not prison construction that will only advance the Trump agenda.
★Email the below address, and use the form below to send your message to the Governor’s office.
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/email-the-governors-office
Example Message:
Dear Governor Healey,
I am your constituent calling on you to pause the $360 million women’s prison project immediately. Incarcerated women and formerly incarcerated women also oppose this project.
Your administration has failed to meaningfully engage with directly impacted women. Please listen to them now and pause plans for prison construction: tinyurl.com/FraminghamVoices
We need policy change before prison construction. You can begin by using your clemency powers to address systemic injustices with sentencing relief and release elderly and sick incarcerated women who are no threat to public safety.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your City/Town]
