Law & Psychiatry Researchers Co-Present Findings with MA Department of Correction at State House Special Commission
Date Posted: Thursday, January 15, 2026
On January 12, 2026, members of the Law & Psychiatry research team from iSPARC at UMass Chan Medical School, in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Correction (MA DOC), co-presented their latest findings to the Special Commission for Correctional Consolidation and Collaboration at the Massachusetts State House.
This presentation is part of an ongoing project funded by the National Institute of Justice’s W.E.B. Du Bois Program of Research on Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Justice System. Together, the Law & Psychiatry team and MA DOC are assessing MA DOC’s objective prison classification system, with the goal of developing scalable methods for achieving equity within correctional settings.
The Law & Psychiatry team was invited by MA DOC to share current data and insights with the Special Commission during hearings related to prison classification, providing a unique opportunity to bridge scientific research and policy. This collaboration helps inform policymakers and stakeholders about ongoing efforts to improve fairness and effectiveness in the MA DOC classification process.