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Dennehy to take DOC reins for the long haul
BY DAVID S. BERNSTEIN
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Those hoping that Michael Maloney’s departure from the Department of Correction (DOC) will clear the way for significant change will need to put their faith in Maloney’s former right-hand woman. The Phoenix has learned that the promotion of Deputy Commissioner Kathleen Dennehy to acting commissioner is not a stopgap measure as reported: she is expected to be a long-term replacement. Maloney’s six years as commissioner ended abruptly Monday. He officially took medical leave, but Ed Principe, spokesperson for the Executive Office of Public Safety (EOPS), confirms that Maloney is not expected to return to his position. "We do not anticipate the commencement of any further search [at least] until the conclusion of the ongoing Governor’s Commission on Corrections Reform," says Principe. That commission, chaired by Scott Harshbarger, won’t finish its work until April, and, as of now, there are no plans to open a search at that time unless the commission recommends it. Dennehy, a 21-year DOC veteran, replaced Maloney as deputy commissioner when Maloney was promoted in 1997, and now follows him as commissioner. She takes charge of a department reeling from the murder of defrocked priest John Geoghan by another prisoner in August, the escape of a child rapist from the Massachusetts Treatment Center in October, and allegations that the department fosters a harshly punitive atmosphere. In addition to the governor’s commission, a joint legislative committee held hearings in October to address growing concerns. At that hearing, EOPS secretary Edward A. Flynn spoke of changing the current "emphasis on punishment over rehabilitation," as he put it. "It is not enough to be tough on crime, we must be smart on crime," he said. One of Maloney’s chief critics, Massachusetts Correctional Legal Services executive director Leslie Walker, is skeptical of putting the task of reform in the hands of an insider like Dennehy. "That may be a huge mistake, and a signal that they are not going to follow through" with Flynn’s promises, Walker says. "How can she be the one to change things when she’s been part of the problem for so long? It’s not impossible, but it would be easier for somebody coming in from the outside." Flynn’s office argues that Dennehy is the perfect person to enact change. "I think [reformers] will be pleased," says Christine Cole, an EOPS spokesperson. "She’s capable, and she’s fully equipped for the job." At the least, Dennehy starts with something Maloney lacked: the trust of the guards’ union. "She’s always dealt with us honestly and fairly," says Robert Brouillette, business agent for the Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union. "One of our biggest problems has been the lack of leadership and cooperation from Commissioner Maloney." One of Maloney’s last acts in office, in fact, was to suspend Brouillette from his DOC job for 10 days for discussing the circumstances of Geoghan’s death with the news media. His suspension — and Maloney’s departure — come just as the department’s internal report on Geoghan’s death is supposed to be completed, Walker points out. The release of the report could be Dennehy’s chance to signal her intentions. "I’d like to see her say what nobody at the Department of Correction has said," Walker says. "That we made an enormous mistake here, we are very sorry it happened, it happens to others, and this is wrong, and I’m going to fix it."
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