Prisons in the United States have long relied on Restrictive Housing, known as solitary confinement in other nations, to manage threats and punish misconduct. As evidence grows regarding the impact of restrictive housing on the health and behavior of those placed in such conditions, many in the United States seek ways to limit its use.
Recognizing the need for change, the Massachusetts Department of Correction (MADOC) retained industry experts to complete a system review, leading to recommendations which included the elimination of restrictive housing by any definition. In the two years since receiving the study, MADOC successfully eliminated the use of restrictive housing through the implementation of Behavior Assessment Units (BAUs) and Secure Adjustment Units (SAUs). BAUs are an opportunity to assess individual risk and need; while the SAUs provide access to evidence-based treatment, education, programs, recreation, and healthcare services to address the underlying causes of the behavior. Incarcerated individuals are assigned to specific program tracks, including substance use, antisocial cognition, impulsivity, and negative peer influences.
This MADOC team presents a model for applying principles of risk-needs-responsivity to address misconduct. The first of its kind, the program eliminates the use of any restrictive housing, replacing it with assessment, classification, and evidence-based programming matched to the individual. The team will describe the program and its impact on culture, including discussion of the development and implementation of structured program interventions, training and support, and early outcome data.
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Kyle Pelletier
Director of Special Programs, Massachusetts Department of Correction, United States
Kyle Pelletier is a seasoned professional who has been working in corrections for 15 years. Prior to her corrections career, she obtained a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Northeastern University. She joined the Massachusetts Department of Correction in 2012, but began her career within the Department as vendor staff in 2018, facilitating programming to inmates; she has flourished in a variety of roles, which led to her current position as the Director of Special Programs. In the two years of being Director, she’s assisted the Department in ending restrictive housing, by designing and implementing a system that has evolved from the disciplinary use of restrictive housing into a behavioral assessment and program intervention model. This work started for the female offender population while she was working as the Deputy Superintendent of Reentry for MCI Framingham (Department's female facility), where she led a team that developed and implemented an alternative to restrictive housing specifically for the female offender. This would serve as the framework for her current role.
In addition, while working with the women at MCI Framingham, Director Pelletier collaborated with internal and external stakeholders to develop and implement a trauma informed gender specific program that addressed the unique pathways of women into the criminal justice system. For her work at MCI Framingham, she received the Deputy of the year award in 2019 for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Although the Special Programs Division was initially created to assist with the reform of restrictive housing, Director Pelletier has supported the implementation work of the Emerging Adults model, as these models can serve as a preventive strategy for violent and disruptive behavior. She is currently applying strategies learned from that effort to assist MCI Framingham leadership in the design of a similar opportunity for the female population. Director Pelletier strives to continue to encourage and help the Massachusetts Department of Correction evolve by promoting safer facilities through designing, implementing, and supporting evidence-based program interventions that enhance skills for sustainable change.
