BOSTON (MA)
WBUR
(2003-09-02)
By Svea Herbst-Bayliss
BOSTON (Reuters) - Patterns of prison abuse that paved the way for defrocked pedophile priest John Geoghan's murder can be stopped only if Massachusetts' prison culture is scrutinized by outsiders, a prisoners legal aid group said on Tuesday.
James Pingeon, a lawyer with Massachusetts Correctional Legal Services, called for an independent group to investigate how a convicted murderer was able to strangle and stomp Geoghan to death on Aug. 23 in one of the state's safest prisons.
Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has appointed a three-member panel to review prison practices, but lawyers for inmates said the panel would not be able to change a system that tolerates and encourages abusive staff.
A prison spokeswoman said last week the department investigated all complaints and that the system did not encourage abusive behavior.
"We have heard from inmates that guards have encouraged prisoners to beat up people like Geoghan," Pingeon said. "What we have here is a systemic problem that cannot be solved by adding a few more guards to the staff."
