Departments claim it will “increase overall safety and advance transparency and accountability”
The Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, together with the Massachusetts Department of Correction, announced that they will be establishing a pilot program that will place Body-Worn Cameras on correctional officers. The initiative begins at maximum security facility Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center. The Baker-Polito Administration plans to invest $1 million on a two-phase pilot program. According to a press release, the program has three main goals:
- Enhance communication and collaboration among DOC staff.
- Support improved interactions between staff and inmates.
- Strengthen transparency and accountability.
Representatives spoke out about what they believe the implementation of Body-Worn Cameras will achieve.
“Implementing this BWC pilot program reinforces our commitment to advancing the safety of correctional officers and those entrusted to their care. The program affords us the opportunity to explore how this technology can improve operational efficiency and enhance the value of transparency in our institutions,” said Public Safety and Security secretary Terrence Reidy.
“The Department supports implementation of the BWC pilot program to study how this advanced technology can serve an important role in correctional operations. This innovative tool has a proven track record of improving safety, providing valuable documentation for evidentiary purposes, resolving officer-involved incidents, and offering a useful training tool for the Department and its officers,” said DOC commissioner Carol Mici.
Shira Laucharoen is a reporter based in Boston. She currently serves as the assistant director of the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism. In the past she has written for Sampan newspaper, The Somerville Times, Scout Magazine, Boston Magazine, and WBUR.
