Governor Nominates New Parole Board Member
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BOSTON — Governor Maura T. Healey nominated Sarah B. Coughlin to the Massachusetts Parole Board.
Coughlin is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor who currently serves as the Director of Community Engagement and Partnerships at Mass General Brigham.
"Sarah Coughlin has a wide range of experience in many critical areas that will inform her work on the Parole Board, including violence prevention, restorative justice, diversion, re-entry, substance use disorder and mental health services, and community engagement," said Governor Healey. "She shares our administration's commitment to making our criminal justice system more just and equitable for all and will be an excellent addition to the Parole Board."
Coughlin is a community organizer, social worker, therapist, trainer and consultant, and expert witness for state and federal courts. She has long been an advocate for effective mental health services, the use of science-based approaches to drug use and addiction, critical justice reform and equitable access to health care. As Director of Community Engagement and Partnerships at MGB she uses a collective impact model driven by community to address the social determinants of health and root causes of health disparities. She oversees collaborative efforts in Boston focused on youth violence prevention and provides access to survivor support and healing modalities in partnership with the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute.
"I'm honored that Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll have placed their faith in me to serve on the Parole Board. I've spent my career working to improve community health and promote healing by addressing the inequities and traumas that lead to and result from involvement in the carceral system," said Sarah Coughlin. "I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Parole Board and the Healey-Driscoll Administration to make our communities safer and more just."
Coughlin is also a Social Work Expert Vender for the Committee for Public Counsel Services, where she assists state and federal attorneys with sentencing reports, parole release plans, clinical assessments, substance use evaluations, and provides expert testimony at criminal trials, violation hearings, and child protection cases. She has a Bachelor of Social Work from Providence College and Master of Social Work from Boston College.
