The vision of the Support Center CAB is to become a resource to the criminal-legal system, Community Justice Support Centers, and communities across Massachusetts by raising awareness, providing advice, and promoting solutions to issues impacting people involved with the criminal-legal system.
We Are Looking for Our First Group of Board Members
Do you have experience with police, courts, probation, parole, jails, or prisons in Massachusetts? Do you have ideas about how services and supports provided to people who have these experiences can be improved?
Questions?
If you have questions about the CAB or about applying to become a member of the CAB, email Michelle Crist at Mi************@um******.edu .
Learn more about the Community Justice Support Centers here.
Apply to become a member of the CAB!
What is a CAB?
In a CAB, a group of people come together on a regular basis to share ideas and provide advice to organizations on better ways to serve and support people. People who serve on CABs have a voice in decisions about an organization’s service delivery.
A CAB focused on the criminal-legal system (police, courts, corrections) should be run by and for people with lived experience in the criminal-legal system with support from leadership.
What is the Support Center CAB Mission?
The Support Center CAB is a group of people ages 18 years and older who have past experience with Massachusetts criminal-legal system (police, courts, prisons/jails). Support Center CAB Members may have direct experience with Support Centers in the past, but this is not a requirement of membership.
The CAB’s mission is to bring people with lived experience with the Massachusetts criminal-legal system together on a regular basis and give them an opportunity to discuss and provide input on the policies, services, and supports delivered by Support Centers.
What is the Value of a Support Center CAB?
By creating a CAB, the Community Justice Support Centers are seeking advice from people who have been involved with the criminal-legal system, their opinions, ideas, and experiences. A Support Center CAB will provide input on how to make supports and services more accessible and helpful to people participating in Support Center programming.
CAB Member Job Description:
CAB members will meet once a month for 2 hours with a CAB facilitator over zoom. The meeting day and time will be decided based on member availability. The CAB will be a space where people can:
- Discuss and provide input on policies, services, and supports delivered by Support Centers;
- Share their experiences with the Support Centers directly;
- Share their experiences with police, courts, probation, parole, prisons/jails and how this may affect Support Center policies, services and supports.
Members will also be asked to review materials sent to them before meetings. In total, CAB members can expect to work around 3 hours each month and will be paid for their time and expertise.
Responsibilities:
- Meet monthly for a Zoom CAB meeting.
- Talk about CAB meetings and activities informally with CAB facilitator (e.g., text, phone, email).
- Participate in CAB Member trainings.
- Share information about factors that may affect people’s success in the Support Centers.
- Listen to information from Support Center staff and leadership about policies, services, and supports and give input and recommendations for improvement.
- Share information about experiences in the criminal-legal system (e.g., experiences of stigma, discrimination, trust), as appropriate and when you are comfortable.
- Give advice on how the Support Centers can improve relationships with people, families, and communities.
Required Qualifications:
- 18 years of age or older
- Past experience with police, courts, probation, parole, and/or jail/prison in Massachusetts
- Able to read and communicate in English
- Comfortable talking with others on Zoom
- Ability to work for 3 hours each month
