Cabral’s new model gives hope to female prisoners

Serghino René

“It’s a remarkable thing to be the cause of change in someone’s life,” said Suffolk County Sheriff Andrea Cabral during a recent press conference. “It’s also a remarkable thing for a correctional institution to embrace that goal.”

Cabral recently kicked off a new program model for women at the South Bay House of Correction. Based on an “accountability model,” the new program is designed to give women more individualized services to improve their chances of success upon re-entry.

“This program represents a monumental change and a historical step forward in the Sheriff’s Department,” said Cabral.

When Julie White, assistant deputy superintendent of program services, came to Suffolk County in 2000, she saw how differently the women were treated from the men and was upset to hear that there were no programs designed for women to re-enter society.

“Women’s needs are different from men’s and there are different factors that lead to female crime,” said White. “Sheriff Cabral recognizes these differences and recognizes that women’s programming should be different also.”

This is good news for 31-year-old Serena Cunningham. She has been in and out of the correctional facility since 1995 for various convictions on assault charges. She has seen a significant difference in the quality of the programming since her return last August.

“Back then, all we did was sit in the units, play cards and talk trash about nothing,” said Cunningham. “We didn’t have incentives that said, ‘Okay, this is the goal you have to work towards. If you do this, do that and stay out of trouble, then you’ll obtain your goal.’”

The story that led to Cunningham’s incarcerations is all too common.

Originally from Lynn, she grew up in an environment of drugs, alcohol, guns and violence. When she was six, someone had filed a claim of abuse against her mother and she was put into the custody of the state’s Department of Social Services. She was in and out of group homes and, from time to time, she ran away.

“No one wanted to adopt me because my mom and dad were still alive,” Cunningham said.

But she couldn’t say that for too long. At 13 years old, she found out through reading a newspaper that her father was murdered and died at Boston Medical Center. Meanwhile, her mother was recovering from drug use. Cunningham immediately gave up.

“After that, I didn’t care about life,” she said. “All I had was my case and social worker.”

Cunningham is still very angry about her life. But these days, she’s trying to live by her motto: “When you fall just pick yourself up, dust yourself off and keep on moving.”

The accountability model was created after a long period of research done by the staff at the Suffolk County House of Correction. A team reviewed research on female crime trends, recidivism rates and services, and worked with community partners and other correctional facilities to identify the greatest needs of incarcerated women and how they are successfully met. The task force also interviewed female inmates at the House of Correction.

Women’s programming at the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department inspired the three-phase approach to recovery now in use at South Bay. The first phase begins within a week of incarceration for both sentenced inmates and pretrial detainees. The five-day phase consists of one hour of orientation each day and introducing the women to the rules and regulations of the institution.

It also includes an assessment of each woman to gauge her education level, history of alcohol or drug abuse and factors that could lead her to repeat criminal behavior. The assessment is then incorporated into an Individual Service Plan (ISP) unique to each woman, aiming to address her individual needs.

Phase two includes two weeks of psycho-educational workshops that address addiction recovery, re-entry, domestic violence and anger management.

In phase three, the women start executing their individual plans. Those efforts continue until their release. Treatment programs can last from six to 16 weeks and are tailored to deliver attention not only to the women’s individual problems, but also to their state of mind and level of recovery.

Twelve cycles of phase one have been completed since the model was implemented. Several cycles of phases two and three have also been completed, and many women have followed through with their ISPs and have been released. Though it has only been in place for a few months, the accountability model can already be felt within the prison walls.

“Since implementing the new model, the staff has had a rejuvenated sense of purpose and the women’s moods have also changed. They aren’t anxious about their release because they have a plan,” said Christina Ruccio, director of women’s programming at the Suffolk County House of Correction. “Sheriff Cabral wanted to give these women a sense of empowerment while alloying them to be responsible for their actions. I think we accomplished that.”