News Briefs

CCS Now Vaccinating with Pfizer for 5-to-11 Years-Olds

Commonwealth Clinical Services, Inc., (CCS) Winthrop’s Visiting Nurse Association/Home Health Care Agency, will be hosting another vaccination clinic at St. Michael’s Gym (formerly St. John’s) offering both Moderna and Pfizer vaccinations for first, second, third, and booster doses.  In addition, CCS is now offering the Pfizer vaccine to ages 5+.   The Moderna vaccine will also be offered to adults 18+.  Those who do not have computer access to register can call our offices at 617-846-7676 (RNRN).

When:  Thursday, February 3, 2022

Time:    3pm-7pm

Where:  Saint Michael’s Gymnasium (formerly St. John’s), 229 Lincoln Street, Winthrop, MA

How to Register:  Go to Commonwealth Clinical Services, Inc. website at ccscare.com and click on the link on our homepage OR follow the link at: https://home.color.com/vaccine/register/ccs

Celebrate National Unclaimed Property Day by Visiting Find Mass Money

State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg and the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators are celebrating National Unclaimed Property Day… and you should be too!

One in ten Massachusetts residents have unclaimed money including citizens like Kelly who recently discovered how easy it was to claim her money. 

“Checked my name and found money at FindMassMoney.com.” said Kelly. “Once I found money for myself, I started checking my family and friends…even work colleagues!  I found money for them too! With this ‘found’ money, we ordered take out from a local restaurant.  I didn’t have to cook, and we helped a struggling restaurant in our town.”

The Treasury is currently holding over $3.4 billion in unclaimed property. Treasurer Goldberg urges all citizens to check the comprehensive list for all amounts at www.findmassmoney.com or call our live call center at 888-344-MASS (6277).

“Take a minute on Unclaimed Property Day to check your name like Kelly,” said State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg. “Our team is prepared to walk you through the claims process.”

Unclaimed property includes forgotten savings and checking accounts, un-cashed checks, insurance policy proceeds, stocks, dividends, and the contents of unattended safe deposit boxes. Most accounts are considered abandoned and are turned over to the state after three years of inactivity. In 2021, Treasury processed over 113,000 claims and returned over $174 million in cash and securities to its rightful owners.

 There is no time limit for a person to claim this property and, in many cases, claimants will receive interest. Searching for unclaimed money is always free by using FindMassMoney.com.

DOC Announces Body-Cam Pilot Program

The Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS), in coordination with the Massachusetts Department of Correction (DOC), announced a pilot program to outfit correctional officers with Body-Worn Cameras (BWC). The DOC’s first-time use of officer-worn body cameras will launch at Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center (SBCC), a maximum-security facility. EOPSS and the DOC began exploring the use of BWCs several months ago as part of continued efforts to enhance operational systems, improve safety for inmates and correctional officers, and advance transparency and accountability.

“Implementing this BWC pilot program reinforces our commitment to advancing the safety of correctional officers and those entrusted to their care. The program affords us the opportunity to explore how this technology can improve operational efficiency and enhance the value of transparency in our institutions,” said Public Safety and Security Secretary Terrence Reidy. 

The pilot program’s objectives are three-fold:

• Enhance communication and collaboration among DOC staff.

• Support improved interactions between staff and inmates.

• Strengthen transparency and accountability.

The initial deployment of BWCs is anticipated to begin in Summer 2022 at SBCC. Once deployed, they will augment the facility’s comprehensive network of existing stationary cameras.

“The Department supports implementation of the BWC pilot program to study how this advanced technology can serve an important role in correctional operations. This innovative tool has a proven track record of improving safety, providing valuable documentation for evidentiary purposes, resolving officer-involved incidents, and offering a useful training tool for the Department and its officers,” said DOC Commissioner Carol Mici.

The Baker-Polito Administration will invest $1 million in a two-phase pilot program, with funding included in the Administration’s Fiscal Year 2023 budget proposal. The pilot’s first phase will concentrate on technology needs, including an overall assessment of the body-camera style most conducive to the environment and an analysis of the technology needed by a DOC facility to effectively administer the program.

The pilot’s second phase will focus on operational implementation. A research team will evaluate the initial roll-out of the two-phased pilot program over several months. Information related to evidence collection, records retention, storage requirements and other operational matters will be assessed for best practices. Researchers will also evaluate internal data and key metrics to determine the program’s effectiveness and facilitate evidence-based policy decisions regarding programmatic.