WORCESTER – The Massachusetts Parole Officers Association (MPOA) opposes a state plan to close the Worcester Field Parole Office at the end of June, calling it “highly problematic for public safety.” The Worcester Field Parole Office is currently responsible for around 150 parolees, 75 of which live in the City of Worcester.
The MPOA is the union that represents field parole officers, supervisors, special investigators, and others who work in the Massachusetts parole system. It says public safety and delivering services to parolees are at risk and calls the state’s plan.
The Massachusetts Parole Board plans to close the Worcester Field Parole Office this month when the lease for its space at 340 Main St., Suite 380, expires. Worcester is one of the top five cities with the highest population of parolees in Massachusetts.
The decision to close the office is part of a plan to reduce parole department’s footprint, devised when former Governor Charlie Baker was in office. The Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) is led by Secretary Terrence Reidy, who was appointed by Baker in 2021. EOPSS is the parent agency of the Parole Board. Governor Healey reappointed Reilly to the position when she took office this year. Reilly previously worked in the attorney general’s office when Healey held that post through last year.
The state plans for field parole staff to use three small office spaces in Worcester, shared with, and operated by, social services organizations. They will also use the field office in Framingham and a hotel/conference center in Southbridge. Staff would be prohibited from meeting with parolees at the Southbridge location.
In a letter to state lawmakers made available to This Week in Worcester, the MPOA says its members provide services to parolees, victims, and citizens. They meet with new parolees for initial intake, which includes interviews, photos, GPS installation, and treatment referrals. Parolees also report to a field office for drug testing, case conferences, investigations, assistance, and more. Staff take calls and respond to parolees in crisis, violations, and respond to parolee residences for visits, inspections, and to make arrests.
MPOA says that many of these functions would be limited under the new plan, and will force parolees to travel to Framingham or Springfield frequently, which they may not be able to do. It will also severely limit monitoring of parolees.
