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Buckman v. Commissioner of Correction: Salvaging Massachusetts' Medical Parole Program

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2021

Tara Dylann Roslin
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Type
Notes & Recent Case Developments
Information
American Journal of Law & Medicine , Volume 46 , Issue 2-3: Emerging Issues in Bioethics , May 2020 , pp. 325 - 330
Copyright
Copyright © 2020 American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics Boston University School of Law

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References

1 Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. ch. 127, § 119A (“Release of prisoner on medical parole due to terminal illness or permanent incapacitation; petition; written decision; conditions of parole; appeal; rules and regulations; report”); Buckman v. Comm'r of Correction, 138 N.E.3d 996 (Mass. 2020).

2 In Mr. Cruz's case, the Superintendent of MCI also rejected the petition because it merely “referenced medical records in the possession of the department” but did not provide a written diagnosis by a physician is was required by department policy. Buckman, 138 N.E.3d at 999 n.3.

3 Buckman, 138 N.E.3d at 999.

4 Id. at 999 n.4.

5 Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. ch. 127, § 119A (West 2018) (medical parole statute); Complaint at 12, Buckman, 138 N.E.3d 996 (No. SJ-2019-0057).

6 Complaint at 12, 15, 23, Buckman, 138 N.E.3d 996 (No. SJ-2019-0057).

7 Brief of Petitioner-Appellant at 30-31, Buckman, 138 N.E.3d 996 (No. SJ-2019-0057).

8 ch. 127, § 119A (c)(1) (emphasis added).

9 Buckman, 138 N.E.3d at 1009.

10 Id. at 1000.

11 Void for irreconcilability with ch. 127 § 119A: 501 Code Mass Regs 17.03(5); 17.06(5); 17.06 (8); 17.03(3); 17.06(3); 17.03(4); 17.06(4).

12 Buckman, 138 N.E.3d at 1010.

13 Id. at 998.

14 ch. 127, § 119A (f).

15 Schoenberg, Shira, Gov. Charlie Baker Signs Landmark Massachusetts Criminal Justice Overhaul, Despite Concerns, MassLive (Apr. 13, 2018, 5:00 AM)Google Scholar, https://www.masslive.com/politics/2018/04/gov_charlie_baker_signs_landma.html.

16 Mary Price, Everywhere and Nowhere: Compassionate Release in the States 19 (Families Against Mandatory Minimums 2018).

17 Schoenberg, supra note 15.

18 Buckman, 138 N.E.3d at 1003.

19 Id.

20 David S. Cloud, Tempering The Cost Of Aging, Dying In Prison With The Demands Of Justice, NPR (Aug. 1, 2018, 5:00 AM), https://www.npr.org/2018/08/01/630515551/tempering-the-cost-of-aging-dying-in-prison-with-the-demands-of-justice.

21 Schoenberg, supra note 15; Cloud, supra note 20.

22 Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. ch. 127, § 119A (h) (West 2018)

23 Buckman, 138 N.E.3d at 1005, 1008, 1009, 1011; ch. 127, § 119A (c)(1)-(e).

24 Appellants' complaint regarding the withholding of the superintendent's recommendation and the supporting documentation falls into phase two of the process.

25 ch. 127, § 119A (c)(1).

26 ch. 127, § 119A.

27 Brief of Petitioner-Appellant at R.162-170 (Buckman's original petition), R.178-182 (Cruz's original petition), Buckman, 138 N.E.3d 996 (No. SJ-2019-0057).

28 ch. 127, § 119A.

29 Complaint at 3, Buckman, 138 N.E.3d 996 (No. SJ-2019-0057); Brief of Petitioner-Appellant at R.175, Buckman, (No. SJ-2019-0057).

30 Buckman, 138 N.E.3d at 999 n.5.

31 Complaint at 4, Buckman, 138 N.E.3d 996 (No. SJ-2019-0057).

32 Complaint at 4, Buckman, 138 N.E.3d 996 (No. SJ-2019-0057); Brief of Petitioner-Appellant at R.176, Buckman, 138 N.E.3d 996 (No. SJ-2019-0057).

33 Complaint at 4, Buckman, 138 N.E.3d 996 (No. SJ-2019-0057); Brief of Petitioner-Appellant at R.176, Buckman, 138 N.E.3d 996 (No. SJ-2019-0057).

34 Complaint at 4, Buckman, 138 N.E.3d 996 (No. SJ-2019-0057); Brief of Petitioner-Appellant at R.176, Buckman, 138 N.E.3d 996 (No. SJ-2019-0057).

35 Complaint at 4, Buckman, 138 N.E.3d 996 (No. SJ-2019-0057); Brief of Petitioner-Appellant at R.176, Buckman, 138 N.E.3d 996 (No. SJ-2019-0057).

36 Complaint at 4, Buckman, 138 N.E.3d 996 (No. SJ-2019-0057); Brief of Petitioner-Appellant at R.176, Buckman, (No. SJ-2019-0057).

37 Complaint at 4, Buckman, 138 N.E.3d 996 (No. SJ-2019-0057).

38 Brief of Petitioner-Appellant at R.140-45:149-59, Buckman, 138 N.E.3d 996 (No. SJ-2019-0057).

39 501 Mass. Code Regs. 17.03 (5) (invalidated by Buckman).

40 The SJC took up three issues on certiorari review: “1. Whether, for purposes of G. L. c. 127, § 119A, a written petition for medical parole of a prisoner must be considered by the superintendent of the facility where the prisoner is incarcerated, regardless of the superintendent's view as to the completeness or adequacy of the petition 2. Which party bears the burden of preparing or procuring ‘(i) a medical parole plan; (ii) a written diagnosis by a physician licensed to practice medicine under [G. L. c. 112, § 2]; and (iii) an assessment of the risk [for] violence that the prisoner poses to society.’ G. L. c. 127, § 119A. 3. Whether the Commissioner of Correction [ (commissioner) ], on receipt of the petition and the superintendent's recommendation as to release of the prisoner, must provide notice to the prisoner of the recommendation, as well as a copy of the recommendation and any supporting or related materials.” Buckman, 138 N.E.3d at 999 (internal quotations omitted).

41 Buckman, 138 N.E.3d at 1007, 1009.

42 Id. at 1005.

43 Id. at 1007.

44 Id. at 1005 (noting that if the medical parole plan and written diagnosis were considered part of the petition, then the Legislature would not have needed to require the superintendent to transmit these documents to the commissioner along with the petition); Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. ch. 127, § 119A (c)(1) (West 2018).

45 Buckman, 138 N.E.3d at 1007.

46 Id.

47 Buckman, 138 N.E.3d at 1008.

48 Schoenberg, supra note 15.

49 Schoenberg, supra note 15.

50 Blake Ellis & Melanie Hicken, Please help me before it's too late, CNN (July 2019), https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2019/06/us/jail-health-care-ccs-invs/

51 Brief of Petitioner-Appellant at R.100-123, Buckman, 138 N.E.3d 996 (No. SJ-2019-0057) (DOC internal policies governing the provision of health care).

52 Ellis, supra note 50 (current and former WellPath employees reported that prisoners are often denied “specialized testing, medication, and treatments” and that “company culture makes it very difficult to adequately evaluate and respond to inmate needs”).

53 Ellis, supra note 50.

54 Mahdi v. Dep't of Correction, et al., No. NOCV-2019-1064 (Mass Super. Mar. 31, 2020).