Lawmaker calls for change after yet another critical report of Bridgewater State Hospital

Brittany Johnson, WCVB 5 ABC, March 15, 2024

A lawmaker is calling for change after a new report slams the treatment of inmates with mental illness inside Bridgewater State Hospital.

… State Rep. Ruth Balser, D-Newton, who is also a psychologist, said the most recent report is further evidence that control of Bridgewater State Hospital should be moved from state the Department of Correction to the state Department of Mental Health.

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Brookline, Newton state Rep. Ruth Balser is retiring after 25 years in the State House

by Sam Mintz, February 19, 2024

Ruth Balser, who represents parts of Brookline and Newton in the state legislature, will retire from her position at the end of this year.

Balser, 75, has been the state representative for the 12th Middlesex District for 25 years, representing southern Newton and at times parts of Brookline. Most recently, because of redistricting in 2022, Balser has represented a large part of South Brookline, including precincts 5, 13A, 14, and 15.

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Rep. Ruth Balser reflects on her career

BY MARTINA JACKSON ON FEBRUARY 13, 2024

Following her announcement that she will retire from the state legislature at the end of this year, Rep. Ruth Balser spoke with Fig City News about her career. A member of House Speaker Ron Mariano’s leadership team, Rep. Balser is the first psychologist elected to the Massachusetts Legislature and has used her training and experience to promote important mental health initiatives. 

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Globe Editorial: If addiction is a disease, why does the probation system treat relapses as a crime?

The revolving door of court-treatment-prison has to stop.

By The Editorial Board Updated December 3, 2023, 4:00 a.m.

Someone commits a petty crime — theft, say — to feed an addiction and is put on probation. The judge orders them into treatment and says not to take drugs or drink alcohol.

But kicking a drug habit isn’t something that people with substance use disorder just do. It’s a medical intervention. Success isn’t guaranteed. Relapses happen.

The question for the state should be, is it really appropriate to imprison probationers if they experience a relapse but are otherwise obeying the terms of their probation and staying out of trouble? At the least, judges and the probation system need to embrace a flexible approach that recognizes the difference between a relapse that doesn’t truly endanger others — and one that does.

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‘Beacons’ on the Hill

Mass Lawyers Weekly Staff // October 27, 2023

The Equal Justice Coalition held a special event at the State House on Oct. 19 to recognize seven lawmakers who have been “Beacons of Justice” on the Hill.

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Calls for Changes to Bridgewater State Hospital Come with Dark Details

MATTHEW MEDSGER | mmedsger@bostonherald.com | Boston Herald- October 3, 2023

Bridgewater State Hospital is more like a prison than a mental health hospital, lawmakers are being told

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Mass. Pols Stand With Israel As New War Unfolds

Written by Sam Drysdale/SHNS– Oct. 11, 2023

Massachusetts public officials and interest groups have come out in a massive show of support for Israel after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared war on Hamas following a surprise attack last weekend.

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With New Model Language, Library E-book Bills Are Back

After a legal setback in 2022, library advocates say they are working closely with advocates on new bills in several states.

By Andrew Albanese and Jim Milliot | Publishers Weekly | Feb 23, 2023

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“Addiction is an illness, not a crime”

BY MARTINA JACKSON, FIG CITY NEWS on FEBRUARY 7, 2023

So says State Rep. Ruth B. Balser, explaining a bill she has filed — HD2465 An Act Ensuring Access to Addiction Services.

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Local artists present creative works to lawmakers for exemplary Dignity Awards

by Salem News. September 15, 2022.

On June 15, the artwork of Nino Lombardi, a 93-year-old Beverly artist, was presented to state Sen. Patricia Jehlen, D-Somerville, and state Rep. Ruth Balser, D-Newton, in recognition and appreciation of their exemplary service on behalf of Massachusetts older adults, persons with disabilities, veterans, their families, and their caregivers. The presentation was sponsored by Dignity Alliance Massachusetts, a statewide coalition of aging and disability service and advocacy organizations and supporters dedicated to systemic transformation of long-term care and services to ensure the dignity of older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers.

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