In preparation for Memorial Day, SCSD officers and CWP (Community Works Program) participants joined volunteers this week at Mount Hope Cemetery in Mattapan to plant flags at more than 16,000 veterans’ gravesites, honoring the lives and sacrifices of the men and women who served our nation. The Mount Hope Cemetery is home to veterans from the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and generations of service members whose legacies continue to live on through this annual tradition. As each flag was placed, we took time to reflect on the history, courage, and sacrifice represented by every veteran headstone.

Continuing our coverage of last week’s National Correctional Officers and Employees Week, we offer congratulations to our basket raffle winners and another look at our Annual Wreath Laying Ceremony at the House of Correction. Congratulations to our basket raffle winners: Classification Caseworker Jessica Padilla, and Custodian Winston Ramirez!

The connection between addiction and incarceration is undeniable. Re- search shows that alcohol and drugs are implicated in an estimated 80% of offenses leading to incarceration in the United States, and alcohol dependence consistently emerges as the most prevalent substance use disorder among incarcerated popu- lations. Spectrum Health Systems is working to change that statistic; one conversation, one group session, one life at a time.

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced courthouses across the Commonwealth to temporarily close their doors, the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department was already ahead of the curve. Courts were clamoring for a solution to conduct sessions and uphold detainees’ right to a speedy trial. ---Enter Stacy Brown, Director of Virtual Court Communica- tions and Technology. Before eventually establishing her role in the telecommunications court process, Brown previously served as Assistant Director of Social Services and creator of the Family Matters program. In the Spring of 2017, Brown was tasked by Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins with implementing an innovative vision to reduce the need for transporting detainees to court and to optimize the efficiency and consistency of connecting individ- uals on trial with their legal teams and courts.