UPDATE: The Baker government terminated the offer after the governor’s office became aware of it, according to a state official. The last story can be found On here.
Massachusetts prisoners could face reduced sentences if vaccinated, according to a letter sent to detainees last week.
The state Penitentiary Department offered extra “good times” to prisoners who received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine offered in state prisons, Commissioner Carol A. Mici wrote in a January 28 memo.
“I determined that receiving the vaccine is significantly valuable for rehabilitation,” wrote Mici.
As part of the DOC’s internal campaign to increase participation, Mici told prisoners that they could qualify for up to 7.5 days and gain a good time if they watched all the informational videos, read the educational pamphlets and received both doses of vaccine. Sources told MassLive that officials are reflecting on the possibility of offering more to those who are vaccinated.
Prisoners will have to certify in writing that they have seen and read the educational materials to qualify for the good time they deserve.
Prisoners and staff at correctional facilities were among the first eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in Massachusetts. They were placed in Phase 1, along with group houses and other environments gathered together to help reduce the spread of the virus indoors.
The DOC began administering the first dose of the vaccine last month. Last week, more than 3,500 prisoners received the first shot.
DOC posted videos about the vaccine on closed circuit television in their prisons and made them available for inmates to download to their tablets.
One of these videos was a recorded discussion involving Rev. Liz Walker, Dr. Gloria White Hammond and Dr. Anthony Fauci of the Roxbury Presbyterian Church. The church received Fauci in November to address concerns that people may have about the vaccine and medical providers, considering the industry’s history of experimentation on blacks and unequal access to medical treatment.
Wellpath, the department’s medical supplier, created an informational video discussing the vaccine’s effectiveness and answering other frequently asked questions.
The Executive Office for Public Safety and Security also hired Commonwealth Medicine to create a series of videos on vaccination, according to the DOC. The department said the series was developed with contributions from ex-convicts, lawyers, health professionals and others.
These videos are available in English, Spanish and Portuguese, and one of the videos is aimed at women in prison, according to the DOC.
Scott Croteau contributed to the report of this article.
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