Timothy J. Muise, #W66927
MCI Shirley
P.O. Box 1218
Shirley, MA
01464-1218

April 22, 2013

Luis Spencer
Commissioner of Correction
50 Maple Street
Suite #3
Milford, MA
01757

PRIVILEGED MAIL

Re: RESOLUTION OF PURPORTED "UNDERSTAFFING" ISSUES at MCI SHIRLEY

Dear Commissioner Spencer:

My hopes are that your office can instruct your subordinates here to begin operating the prison at full operating capacity. For close to a year this facility has operated at a limited capacity, with the law library, school, programs, and religious services, shut down on varying nights. Your experience as a former superintendent lends you the knowledge that such closures, and the inability of men to access positive activities, results in men engaging in counter-productive activities (i.e. drug use, alcohol use, tattoo art, gambling, etc.) which diminish public safety rather than enhance it.

Captain Stubbert (the evening shift commander) instructed us that Deputy Karen DiNardo had issued an "order", via email, that he not open the school building on certain nights, not open the voc ed building on other nights, and to force men to hold religious groups and programs in classrooms rather than the prison chapel. When recently questioned about the "new hires" here at the prison, creating higher staffing levels, Captain Stubbert said that Deputy DiNardo's "order" is still in place. I have to say this perplexes me. This Friday night the recreation coach "Fred" was asleep in the break-room of the school building while the gym and voc ed building were closed. There was an officer with him in the school building (who did in fact stay awake and do his job) but the rec coach was dreaming of greener pastures. Most nights when the school building is closed (especially when Sgt. McGarvey is working) there are two or three guards (a mixture of sergeants and line guards) hanging out in the break-room of the school building, but the building is still closed. Many nights we have two (2) captains patrolling the walkways (Stubbert and Hebert) but they cannot find one (1) guard to open the Chapel (voc ed bldg.) for religious services/programming. Volunteers vocally complain. Program attendance is depleted, but no one seems to care. When men from groups, volunteers, clergy, or anyone else seek answers it all seems to point back to Deputy DiNardo. Is she the new superintendent here?

With the numerous new hires here at the prison I cannot see a reason, other than guard apathy and administrative neglect, that the yard, gym, school building and voc ed (Chapel), should not be open every night. Public safety demands such. I am personally enrolled in the "Alpha Program" on Friday evenings and I have watched as attendance has declined since the Chapel was ordered closed by Deputy DiNardo on Friday nights. The volunteers are angry as they make the long trip here only to be stuck in a classroom instead of the Chapel. It is a religious program that REQUIRES the Chapel. No one here cares. We need YOU to care.

68% of the DOC budget goes to salary. How can there not be enough guards? You and I both know there is a 2.2 to 1 prisoners to staff ratio in your department. When the news gets out that the prison is "closed due to lack of interest" someone will have egg on their face. The buck stops with you. Please intervene.

Thank you.

Respectfully Yours,

Timothy J. Muise, #W66927
MCI Shirley

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