"It's brought a calming effect to the [incarcerated] population," said a deputy warden in a new report from Worth Rises.

Thanks to policy changes in six prison systems and several dozen jail systems, families are talking more and saving money.

It was a progressive masterstroke: give Massachusetts inmates unlimited, free phone calls. What could go wrong? Two years and $12.5+ million taxpayer dollars later, the answer is: plenty. Gov. Maura ...

I can tell you that when the phone calls became free, it was a weight that was lifted off of her, and for sure, it was a ...

Thank you for covering the budget overruns of the county sheriffs in recent news stories (“Senators: Put lid on sheriffs’ spending,” Metro, Oct. 21; “Lawmakers eye funding cuts to sheriffs’ offices,” ...