Prerequisites
- Each CLTL team member is required to attend and participate in at least two meetings of an established CLTL program or for a more in-depth experience, participate in the Mentor/Mentee Program. The CLTL program administrator, together with the CLTL facilitator coordinator, will assist in scheduling and coordinating. If you are unable to attend one of these, please contact the CLTL program administrator @ cltl@jud.state.ma.us.
- Each CLTL team member must also attend the annual CLTL spring training conference. If you are unable to attend, please contact the CLTL program administrator @ cltl@jud.state.ma.us.
- Each CLTL team member must read this guide in its entirely.
- Facilitators must be a Massachusetts State vendor before facilitating. Detailed instructions on how to become a vendor can be found in the Facilitator Payment Guide section.
Establishing a New Program
- A CLTL program consists of a judge, probation officer, facilitator (the program team), and probationers.
- Any judge, probation officer, or facilitator interested in initiating a CLTL program should contact the CLTL program administrator @ cltl@jud.state.ma.us.
- The CLTL team should discuss the structure of the upcoming program, including group demographic (men/woman/mixed), number of participants, start date, length of program, and location of meetings.
- A typical program consists of five to twelve participants, a minimum of six/maximum of ten classes meeting weekly or bi-weekly. A graduation is held outside of the regularly scheduled classes.
- An outline of the new program must be provided to the CLTL program administrator at least two weeks prior to the program’s scheduled start date. using the Program Announcement Form (CLTL-A1).
- Funding for the program is not secured until the form’s submission.
- The judge and probation officer must obtain acknowledgement signature from their First Justice and Chief Probation Officer on the CLTL-A1 Form.
- An updated CLTL-A1 Form should be submitted at any time to reflect program updates.
Programs Inside Correctional Facilities
CLTL also runs programs inside correctional facilities with the permission and support of the Sheriff. The team consists of a facilitator, judge(s), and correctional officers in lieu of probation. Programs are often run every week instead of every other week. Short stories or other short readings may be the most useful literary genre for this population. As an incentive for participating in this program, each graduate receives a certificate that may be used either at sentencing, as evidence of their ongoing participation in programming while detained, or when appearing before the parole board regarding their future release.
Ethical Boundaries
Legal Advice and Pending Cases
Probation officers should inform probationers prior to the start of the program that they may not ask the judge for legal advice or discuss any pending cases with the judge. This applies not only to the probationer’s own matters but also to matters involving friends, family, neighbors, etc.
Recusal
A judge participating in the CLTL program should not generally sit on cases involving probationers currently participating in the program. However, in some courts, practical considerations make this difficult, if not impossible. Judges faced with this concern can contact the program administrator at cltl@jud.state.ma.us
Privacy Concerns
Judges have different views about sharing personal information with the CLTL class.
- Each judge should decide how much or how little they are comfortable sharing.
- Most judges wish to maintain a level of formality, particularly in terms of how they are addressed and prefer not to be called by their first names. This is preferable, especially where a judge may have to preside over a case involving a current or former CLTL participant.
Duty to Report Crimes or Misconduct
To be handled by the probation officer.