New Projects​

Katherine Hazen

Policy Partner: Sergeant Detective Marc Sullivan, Boston Police Department Human Trafficking Unit

Boston Human Exploitation and Trafficking (HEAT) Evaluability Assessment

For ten years, people who are unhoused and suffering from substance use disorders have lived at the intersection of Mass. and Cass in tents and temporary structures. In 2023, city officials cleared the tents, displacing hundreds of people due to concerns about overdoses, violence, and commercial sex. Commercial sex presents unique challenges for service providers. The BPD partnered with a clinician-peer team to establish the Boston Human Exploitation and Trafficking (HEAT) program with the goal of addressing barriers to working with women engaged in commercial sex and substance use. HEAT ensures health and safety by building autonomy and relational trust to thereby improve institutional trust. This year, we will conduct an evaluability assessment of Boston HEAT to create a comprehensive evaluation plan and apply for funding.

Deborah A. Ramirez

Jail to Jobs (J2J) Pipeline Project

The Jail to Jobs Pipeline (J2J) Project, led by Northeastern Law Professor Deborah Ramirez, works to resolve recidivism while resolving the nation’s labor shortage. Professor Ramirez and Northeastern’s Criminal Justice Task Force have successfully designed the necessary infrastructure in Massachusetts to create the J2J Pipeline. Throughout Massachusetts, there are currently 19 Community Justice Supports Centers (CSJC). The J2J Pipeline would ensure that among the resources provided by the CSJCs are those that lead to obtaining a job.