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More than two months after a violent incident at Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center left two correction officers stabbed and three others injured, officers and inmates alike say the prison is still too dangerous. It wasn't always like that, according to Dan Flynn, who started working inside the maximum security prison in 1998. “It was a different place,” Flynn said. “We basically ran the institution.” But Flynn says that began to change. Inmates started using synthetic drugs, like K-2. “They had superhuman strength,” Flynn said. “We had one where a guy was biting the other one, he was trying to rip pieces of flesh off of this guy.” Flynn also began seeing more homemade weapons and assaults. “We had had a major assault in 2012 where an officer was stabbed through the neck,” he said. Flynn retired in 2018, but the violence inside Souza Baranowski hasn't let up. Correction Officers Union President Dennis Martin wants the State Department of Correction to focus less on inmate programs and freedoms and more on security. “These are violent people. They come in violent, and they’re continuing this violent behavior,” Martin said. “If there is an uptick in violence or an uptick in drugs, we need a cleanse in that institution.” Officers are facing more dangers, Martin said, from being sprayed with bodily fluids to being attacked with homemade weapons. And, Martin said, is inaction from the Department of Correction. “We've been complaining about this month after month after month,” he said. “We're not seeing the inmates being held accountable.” Jesse White, legislative director at the inmate advocacy group Prisoners’ Legal Services, said harsher conditions aren't the answer. “Incarcerated people want to feel safe, too,” she said. “If we want to make a safer environment for people, and I think we all do, what we need to do is make sure that we are giving people access to programming, to education, to vocational training opportunities, adequate mental health care, medical care.” Contributing to the violence, according to White, is abuse by staff. The number of excessive force complaints to Prisoners’ Legal Services jumped from 18 in 2022 to 94 so far in 2024. “When the Department of Correction fails to create a culture of accountability within the prison system, incarcerated people and correctional officers alike are less safe,” she said. As the state's only maximum-security prison, Souza-Baranowski is home to the most violent offenders. Data shows there are far more assaults and weapons confiscated here than in any other Massachusetts prison, and it's getting worse. Assaults on staff rose from 118 in 2021 to 187 just through September of 2024. In the same timeframe, the number of weapons found skyrocketed from 52 in 2021 to 186. 5 Investigates’ Brittany Johnson sat down with DOC Commissioner Shawn Jenkins. Jenkins said the Department of Corrections is using a multi-layered approach to reducing violence, including using the latest technology to screen for contraband and training staff to search for drugs and weapons. Jenkins said the DOC is also sending more inmate assault cases to district attorneys’ offices for prosecution, 41 percent more from 2021 to last year. Both the correction officers’ union and Prison Legal Services have made pleas to the governor for help making Souza-Baranowski, now the only maximum security prison in Mass., safer. One surprising source of contention is the computer tablets that inmates use for education and to communicate with the outside world. But the correction officers' union says inmates are taking them apart and turned into weapons. Dennis Martin, the correction officers’ union president, showed 5 Investigates photos of homemade knives that he said are made from pieces of the tablets. “The DOC has provided us information that these tablets were indestructible that has been proven wrong,” Martin said. “So we've asked them to renegotiate with the vendor or possibly choose another vendor to make these tablets unbreakable.” According to the DOC, just 41 out of the 4,650 tablets issued at its state facilities have been turned into weapons. “The vast majority of these people are using tablets for the right reasons. They're using them for programming, they're using them for education, they're using them to keep in contact with their family, and that's critical to the mission that we're trying to accomplish. And so I don't look at those numbers and say that we need to take or remove all the tablets,” Jenkins said. “I look at those numbers and saying, we have a small group of people that have misused those tablets, and when they misuse them, they're held accountable for it, and they lose, in some cases, they can lose their ability to access these tablets.” Jenkins said the tablets are part of providing "good rehabilitative services" to inmates, which is crucial for safety not just inside the prison, but outside as well. The Department of Correction says the recidivism rate — inmates who are re-incarcerated after release — is actually dropping in Massachusetts. But Prisoners’ Legal Services says inmates coming out of Souza-Baranowski are far more likely to re-offend. They say this is evidence that more needs to be done at the state's only maximum security prison.Vance takes on a more visible transition role, working to boost Trump’s most contentious picks
WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) released its Ways in Which Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) Can Meet Gaps in the U.S. Supply Chain report. This report presents several avenues for MBEs to meet gaps in the U.S. supply chain and discusses opportunities to conduct, commission, and collaborate on new studies with other federal, state, and private institutions on this topic. This report offers a data-driven snapshot of the MBE supplier landscape, analyzing representation of MBE firms in both manufacturing industries and the service industries that support manufacturing. The data shows there is room to grow representation of MBEs, particularly in manufacturing. MBE firms comprise about 22 percent of the service sector firms support manufacturing but represent only about 10 percent of manufacturing firms. As a comparison, MBEs comprise about 20 percent of all employer firms. The report identifies barriers present in supply chains for MBE participation; and the ways in which policy makers, technical assistance providers, and large corporations can utilize MBEs to advance the U.S. supply chain. "MBDA has embarked on a new chapter of our long and proud history to serve and support MBEs," said Deputy Under Secretary of Minority Business Development Eric Morrissette . "The Minority Business Development Act of 2021 empowered our agency to work toward equity among U.S. firms and strengthen our national economy, and we are forever committed to that mission. Together with public and private sector partners, we will continue to address capital access disparities and highlight sources of alternative financing while closing gaps in the U.S. supply chain." The report highlights many public and private initiatives directed toward promoting the success of MBEs in supply chain industries and breaking down barriers. Increasing MBE participation in advanced technologies and manufacturing relies on a range of initiatives to ensure MBEs can develop the capacities and skills needed to compete in rapidly changing markets. The report recommends four potential opportunities through which MBEs can help close supply chain gaps through policy and business plan changes: Leverage the Large Number of MBEs in High-Tech Manufacturing Support Services: Assist MBEs to Access Opportunities as Part of the Growth Spurred by Federal Investments, Including the CHIPS Act. Fostering Inclusive Entrepreneurship In Manufacturing: Promote Talent Pools of Entrepreneurship; and Support Training Programs and Expand Innovation Incentives. Expand Corporate Supply Chain Diversity: Expand and Strengthen Procurement Programs,; Build Corporate-MBE Supplier Relationships; and Ensure Stable Cashflow for MBEs. Provide Support to MBEs in Manufacturing: Leverage Business Centers and Networks; Develop Initiatives Helping MBEs Grow in Scale and Size; Foster Networks and Partnerships; and Encourage Community Engagement. Other suggestions made in the report include addressing unique challenges by MBE demographic groups and expanding qualitative data gathering to learn about the needs of MBEs in manufacturing. This report was mandated under the Minority Business Development Act of 2021. The Act codified MBDA and many of its existing programs. The report, and details of its findings, can be reviewed at www.mbda.gov . About the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA): The U.S. Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency is the only Federal agency dedicated to the growth and global competitiveness of U.S. minority business enterprises (MBEs). For more than 50 years, MBDA's programs and services have better equipped MBEs to create jobs, build scale and capacity, increase revenues, and expand regionally, nationally, and internationally. ### Attachment 2024 MBDA Supply Chain Report Press Release © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Pokemon archivist spends hundreds of hours learning how to develop a website to create the ultimate TCG database, which currently includes over 23,000 cards from over 500 artists
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Bismarck State College president to leave postOne dedicated Pokemon archivist has created the ultimate place to browse through the creature-collecting series' Japanese Trading Card Game artwork, with a website they wanted "so badly" that they spent "hundreds of hours learning development" to make it happen themselves. The website is called The Art of Pokemon , and it's been created by Twitter user @pkm_jp. It's clearly been a massive undertaking, but they're obviously very devoted to their passion project, as even though they've already preserved thousands of pieces of artwork, the archivist says their work isn't done yet. "Years ago I wanted a place to scroll through all Japanese Pokemon cards, see a card's artist and learn what other artwork they've made. I wanted it so badly that I've spent hundreds of hours learning development making it happen slowly on weeknights and weekends," the archivist says on Twitter. During this process, they've rebuilt the site "many times over," but now, it houses the artwork for over 23,000 cards, as well as over 2,000 other illustrations (including pieces like promotional art and wallpapers), compiling the work of over 500 artists. You can browse by Pokemon TCG expansions, which are handily organized into various eras so you can flip straight back to Diamond and Pearl, Black and White, or keep up with the more recent Scarlet and Violet releases. Alternatively, you can browse by Pokemon or character if you really want to see all the artwork possible for Slowpoke, for example (and why wouldn't you?), or you can admire the work of specific artists by looking through collections of their pieces. The effort gone into compiling information about the artists might be my favorite thing about the project – where possible, PKMJP has included biographies for the illustrators, as well as links to their social media pages. It's a genuinely really lovely way to show some extra recognition and support for the people behind the art. Even after all that, though, PKMJP says "I still have tons of items to scan, edit, upload, and annotate," and adds: "Lots of improvements to speed things up, lots of artwork still to be added and labeled, more cards to be added, better ways to browse images... Features like custom lists, voting, and a proper blog are all on my wishlist for the future!" It's obvious how much effort has been put into this, and it's an absolute delight to browse through the pages looking for old favorite artworks and discovering new ones. Alongside the recent launch of Pokemon TCG Pocket , it feels like a better time than ever to show some appreciation for the artists behind the long-running trading card game. While you're here, be sure to check out our guide Pokemon TCG Pocket's best decks , the new PTCGP Fire Mass Outbreak Event , and our roundup of Pokemon TCG Pocket's rare cards and how to get them.
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