SHOULD THE T BE FREE FOR ALL? \ DIGBOSTON.COM | 07.29.21 - 08.12.21 DIGBOSTON.COM GTFO: WORCESTER JERSEYS AS ART + CULTURE SPECIAL: TREATMENT BARRIERS FOR TRANS PEOPLE 2 DIGBOSTON.COM | 07.29.21 - 08.12.21 ENTERTAINMENT Like Never before! DEAR READER YOU’RE READING AN VOL 23 + ISSUE 13 JUL 29, 2021 - AUG 12, 2021 AWARD-WINNING PAPER BUSINESS I try to not bombard you with constant insider stuff about the media and journalism PUBLISHER John Loftus space, other than to remind people that we need their support (and the support of ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERS advertisers, etc.) in order to keep up this work. But once a year I typically have the Chris Faraone great luck of getting to inform Dig readers of awards that our media makers brought Jason Pramas home from our national trade group, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia, or SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Dawn Martin AAN. We’re a relatively small paper compared to many of the more than 80 alts like BUSINESS DEV. DIRECTOR us across the country, and to say we jab about our weight class is an understatement. Graham Wilson With four nominations this year, we’re one of the standout papers nationally. And FOR ADVERTISING now on to the winners … INFORMATION [email protected] First, congratulations to Tadhg Larabee on an honorable EDITORIAL mention in the Health Care EDITOR IN CHIEF Chris Faraone Reporting category. His EXECUTIVE EDITOR nominated feature, “Boston’s Jason Pramas Murky World of Open-Source MANAGING EDITOR COVID-19 Vaccine Research,” Mitchell Dewar was extremely unique and ASSISTANT EDITOR Shira Laucharoen well-researched; in a year in NEW at R1 FILM EDITOR which almost every submission Jake Mulligan in every category was basically THEATER EDITOR a healthcare story of some Christopher Ehlers kind, this was an especially FOOD + DRINK EDITOR J.Q. Louise significant win. COMEDY EDITOR Next up, major props to Grace Symes, who like Tadhg was also an intern while they Dennis Maler were producing what would later be recognized as award-winning reporting. In a CONTRIBUTORS year when immigration coverage fell by the wayside for many outlets as resources Zakiya Alake, Sarah Betancourt, Tim Bugbee, Patrick Cochran, Monica Castillo, Mike Crawford, shifted to covering COVID, Grace placed second in the Immigration Coverage category Rob Duguay, Iñaki Estívaliz, Jordan Frias, for the March 2020 piece, “Coronavirus Leaves International Students Uncertain Haley Hamilton, Keiko Hiromi, Nate Homan, About Future.” Zack Huffman, Mark Hurwitz, Nyadenya Inyagwa, C. Shardae Jobson, Heather Kapplow, In the extremely competitive Investigative Reporting category (named for Laura Kiesel, Derek Kouyoumjian, Dan McCarthy, Washington City Paper alum David Carr, who went on to become an iconic champion Rev. Irene Monroe, Jane Regan, Noah Schaffer, of independent media, even as he wrote for bigs like the New York Times before Maya Shaffer, Claire Sadar, Citizen Strain, Grace Symes, Jean Troustine, Eric Twardzik, passing in 2015), Dig contributor Dan Atkinson placed second for his deep dives on Karine Vann, Derek Welcome COVID state contractor chicanery. And that was only the beginning—wait until next INTERNS year’s judges see the new stuff we are working on that front. Nancy Jiang, Hongyu Liu, Meg McCarney And finally, the big win of the evening went to Cagen Luse, who took the mighty first-place prize in the Cartoon category for his outstanding Lunchtime Comix/The AND MORE! DESIGN New Normal series. You can support Cagen’s work at patreon.com/LunchTimeComix DESIGNER and check out his events at facebook.com/ComicsInColor. At this rate, you’ll likely see Scott Murry his comics in more newspapers across the country soon. LET US BOOK [email protected] LAYOUT Svei Grundlick CHRIS FARAONE, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF COMICS YOUR NEXT Patt Kelley, Cagen Luse, Bruce Quest DigBoston Need more Dig? Sign up for the Daily Dig @ digboston.com Phone 617.426.8942 digboston.com Here’s what’s happening online: EVENT! • TEAM BUILDING • BIRTHDAY PARTIES • SPECIAL EVENTS • BACHELOR PARTIES • CORPORATE EVENTS VIDEO NEWS ENVIRONMENT A video to accompany Our major feature Boston looks to take its ON THE COVER this week’s feature on on the struggle for biggest step yet to curb For Special Deals Visit: IG: @kwesithethird | kwesi.co elective surgery. sustainable housing in emissions. www.R1kart.com/BOSTONDIG Cover image and credit via Worcester Art Museum: MIZIZI, Ghana Baseball Jersey, Polyester, courtesy of Somerville. MIZIZI International, LLC. Courtesy of Kwesi Yanful with Creative Direction by Temi Thomas (@temithomas_) 100 Higginson Avenue Lincoln, RI 02865 401.721.5554 ©2021 DIGBOSTON IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY DIG MEDIA GROUP CORP. NO PART OF THIS PUBLICATION CAN BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT WRITTEN CONSENT. DIG MEDIA GROUP CORP. CANNOT BE HELD LIABLE FOR ANY TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS. ONE COPY OF DIGBOSTON IS AVAILABLE FREE TO MASSACHUSETTS RESIDENTS AND VISITORS EACH WEEK. ANYONE REMOVING PAPERS IN BULK WILL BE PROSECUTED ON THEFT CHARGES TO THE FULLEST www.r1indoorkarting.com STREET EDITION 3 NEWS TO US JOE IRIZARRY (CENTER) IN JULY 2020 AT HIS SISTER’S HOUSE WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS. HIRED TO HELP END LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE, SHOWING WHY SECOND CHANCES ARE NEEDED “It’s important to have someone as a community organizer who has been affected by incarceration.” BY JEAN TROUNSTINE “People need to understand how much prisons are serving a life sentence—more Rican, a soldier, promised the glories of the Tufts University Prison Initiative, said in a impact formerly incarcerated people can than 200,000 men and women—and US,” Irizarry said. Irizarry had a “traumatic phone conversation that she met Joe in 2018. have on the community,” said Joseph Irizarry, “people of color represent two-thirds of the upbringing,” he added, witnessing abuse not He was a “super-talented and grounded the newly hired community organizer for life-sentenced population.” only at home but in the score of foster-care student who had obvious leadership skills… the Campaign to End Life without Parole in In Massachusetts, one out of every 10 placements where he lived, beginning at age He’d get an idea and organize people around Massachusetts (CELWOP). CELWOP (which prisoners is serving an LWOP sentence. As eight. it… He is also a networker and someone who this reporter participates in) did a statewide of Jan Irizarry said that at 11, one family “treated wants to connect people and organizations search for an organizer before it hired 1, 2020, more than 12% of the Department me like a slave and called me ‘their little with other organizations.” Irizarry. of Correction population was over nigger.’” This, and his foster mother telling Since he was released on parole in 2020, Irizarry was speaking about his charge the age of 60, considered “elderly” in him he had a “gangster face” caused him Irizarry has continued with Tufts in the My to coordinate a statewide drive to increase prison. According to a fact sheet written by to run away from the home, grabbing a Turn Program, a re-entry initiative for people public awareness of the sentence of life the non-profit Prisoners' Legal Services, “Not bike and heading from Lawrence to Boston. returning from prison. He is a mentor for without parole (LWOP) and to galvanize only do people age out of crime, but it is also Eventually, he was picked up by a stranger younger students, and said he has witnessed public support in Massachusetts to end two to three times more expensive to house in a van who drove him and his bike to his own and others’ individual healing. He’s sending people to prison with no possibility an elderly prisoner.” Dorchester, where Irizarry pedaled to the also become a personal trainer, seeks to for release. In a far-ranging interview that began with Department of Social Services office. At first make fitness a lifestyle, and is involved with While there is pending legislation filed his years of abuse in the foster-care system he was thankful they placed him in another Inner City Weightlifting, which amplifies “the by state representatives Liz Miranda and and moved to his desire to end what is often home, he recalled, but in the next placement, voice and agency of people who have been Jay Livingstone to allow those serving LWOP called “the other death penalty,” Irizarry he was traumatized when his brother (who most impacted by systemic racism and mass to seek parole after 25 years (H.1797), many spoke about how he dedicated his life to had been placed with him) was raped by his incarceration.” people do not understand the need to offer giving back to the communities he harmed. caretaker. Sean Ellis, the other formerly incarcerated second chances, Irizarry said. Part of his job, He served 20 years for the gang-related Irizarry said he couldn’t take foster homes co-chair of CELWOP, a fully exonerated he noted, will be to educate people across murder of Angel Rodriguez in Lawrence in any longer after that and ended up living on prisoner and the subject of the Netflix series the state as to why those sentenced to life 2000. the street. Eventually, he committed crimes Trial Four, spoke to me about Irizarry’s new behind bars should have the opportunity to Irizarry was hired on July 1 with help from to get money to eat, and joined a gang—the role. “It’s important to have someone as a earn parole. funds provided by the Sentencing Project, Latin Kings—which housed him and gave community organizer who has been affected With the opportunity for parole, there a Washington, DC-based research and him a sense of family. “All I wanted,” he by incarceration,” Ellis said.