“….Anyone against media access in prison probably has something to hide….”
Julia Enright’s Call for Transparency and Justice
On January 23 2024, Julia Enright became one of the first people behind bars to testify before the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security. The video of her testimony by Prisoners’ Legal Services Boston (PLS), ”Founded in 1972 whose mission is to challenge the carceral system through litigation, advocacy, client counselling and public outreach” (plsma.org), the video documents her appeal for S.1477/H.2394, the bill that would secure confidential communications between prisoners and journalists and address officer to inmate retaliation.
Julia begins her testimony by reminding lawmakers that secrecy hinders accountability: “without honest information, politicians and the public can make no sound judgments,” Julia Enright. Julia describes how promised rehabilitation has given way to deteriorating conditions: women at MCI Framingham have lost more than seventy percent of their recreation and law‑library access since September, while minor infractions like dancing in the gym are cited as pretexts for sweeping restrictions. She warns that such secrecy breeds corruption and keeps taxpayers in the dark, insisting that “we can’t heal together if we aren’t being honest together, and anyone against media access in prison probably has something to hide.” She closes by urging support for the compassionate release of elderly prisoners, highlighting PLS’s broader advocacy in areas such as medical parole and civil rights.
This statement, credited to PLS for their support and video production, by elevating her voice and the voices of so many others, PLS continues to “promote the human rights of incarcerated persons and end harmful confinement” (plsma.org) and to address systemic issues such as inadequate health care, staff assaults, and harsh conditions in Massachusetts prisons (plsma.org).
On January 23rd, 2024, the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security held hearing on matters related to Corrections. For the first time in the committee's history, incarcerated people were allowed to testify. Hear Julia Enright testify on S.1477/H.2394: An Act to improve transparency and accountability in correctional facilities. (Taken from the PLS YOUTUBE page ——> https://www.youtube.com/@PrisonersLegalServicesBoston)
