Last week we looked at the impressive job creation performance of the Massachusetts economy during the first half of the 2010s. Relatively to past decades, even the celebrated 1980s, we’ve been humming along producing jobs at record levels. This week we contrast job growth with output growth. Because comparable data are only available through 2014,
Reducing Recidivism in Massachusetts with a Comprehensive Reentry Strategy
More than two-thirds of defendants sentenced to state and county prisons in Massachusetts have had prior incarcerations, according to new analysis presented in this policy brief. Comprehensive change is necessary to reduce this elevated level of repeat offending and improve public safety. The third installment in a series exploring various components of reform, this paper
Perspectives on Leadership for CJ Reform from CT Gov. Dannel Malloy
Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy headlined a Kennedy School forum this week to press his case for serving young adults differently in the US criminal justice system. Focusing strategically on justice-involved young adults to reduce recidivism was the topic of a recent MassINC policy brief, as well as a report issued last fall by the Kennedy School’s Program
Week 2: The American Dream (might) have a pulse
If there’s any reason to be optimistic about the future of the American Dream in the Commonwealth, it’s the pace of job creation in the 2010s. MassINC’s 2011 report framed the 2000s as the “lost decade,” in large part because it was the first time on record that the Bay State ended a decade with
The Gateway Cities Journal
Riding SEL's momentum for substance abuse prevention
The opioid legislation taken up by the House this week excludes a controversial provision from the Senate bill requiring public schools to screen all students in grades 7 through 10 for substance abuse problems. As the bill moves to conference committee, an opening remains to build on the spirit of the Senate’s screening provision with
Week 1: Charting our course
MassINC was formed in 1996 by leaders deeply concerned about the future of the state’s middle class. They believed that our strength as a commonwealth hinges on the well-being of those in the middle because broadly shared prosperity fosters optimism in the economy and commitment to our civic institutions, a self-fulfilling confidence of sorts that
BNN News Interviews MassINC Research Director, Ben Forman
On Wednesday, January 6th MassINC Research Director, Ben Forman sat down with Christopher Lovett on Network Neighborhood News to discuss new approaches to reducing young adult recidivism in Massachusetts, the topic of his latest report: Viewing Justice Reinvestment Through a Developmental Lens. The research shows residents ages 18 to 24 are the most likely demographic to
MassINC Year in Review
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! 2015 has been an incredible year for the MassINC family which includes our Policy Center, CommonWealth magazine and the MassINC Polling Group. Please take a moment to look through the highlights of substantive research, civic events, and journalism from 2015 and consider making a year-end donation that will help
Improving the way we serve justice-involved young adults
The MassCJRC Journal
Over these last few years, we’ve often heard about the difficulty corrections leaders have serving young adults. Motivating inmates in their teens and early 20s to participate in programming that will help them succeed is difficult, in part because severing ties with family and other realities of life behind bars hit youth particularly hard. Our
Advancing the Gateway Cities vision for social-emotional learning
Joining together to develop a common education vision in 2013, Gateway City leaders made full build-out of community-wide social and emotional support systems a central pillar of their strategy. Two years on, the topic of social-emotional learning and support is gaining increasing traction in Massachusetts and beyond. Transforming Education, a new nonprofit focused on social-emotional