News  Franklin County courts host graduation for the Changing Lives Through Literature Program at Greenfield Community College

Ten proud participants of the Changing Lives Through Literature (CLTL) Program became the 8th graduating class of the Franklin County Changing Lives Through Literature Program. The eight men and two women were celebrated during a graduation ceremony at Greenfield Community College on November 14th.

Orange District Court First Justice Laurie MacLeod addressed the graduates who included court-involved adults from the Franklin County courts: Franklin Superior, Greenfield District, and Orange District. First Justice MacLeod is a founding member of the program. Superior Court Justice Jeremy Bucci attended the celebration along with Sheila Moriarty, Franklin Superior Court Chief Probation Officer; and Probation Officers Alison Lonczak, Franklin Superior, and Thomas Gauger, Greenfield District Court.

During the 10-week program, students read and discussed Tales of Two Americas: Stories of Inequality in a Divided Nation (2017), edited by John Freeman.

"This collection of writings sparked some very meaningful discussions about class, race, privilege, and what it means to feel seen," said Franklin Superior Chief Moriarty.

The CLTL Program was created in 1991 by Superior Court Judge Robert Kane, New Bedford District Court Probation Officer Wayne St. Pierre, and University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth English Professor Robert Waxler. The program introduces the class to selected literature during group discussions which often promote personal reflection, empathy, and positive behavior change. Judges and Probation Officers participate in the sessions, which are typically facilitated by a literature professor.