Deborah Becker appears in the following:
From Courtroom To Club: Massachusetts Is Getting Creative To Hold Safe Trials
Monday, May 03, 2021
Many of the older courtrooms in Massachusetts aren't equipped for trials during a pandemic. So the state has had to get creative. Wedding venues, and even a nightclub, are now hosting court.
States Across The U.S. Are Taking Different Approaches Toward Vaccinating Inmates
Monday, February 22, 2021
States across the U.S. have taken a hodgepodge approach to vaccinating inmates in prisons and jails. Advocates say the issue is key to fighting COVID-19 outbreaks inside and outside of prison walls.
Violent Crime Increases In Several Cities Nationwide
Friday, August 14, 2020
Cities from Chicago to Oakland report increases in shootings and killings since the pandemic began. Tensions from the pandemic may be contributing, but the answer isn't so simple.
New Review Finds Alcoholics Anonymous Is Effective, But Not For Everyone
Thursday, March 12, 2020
Alcoholics Anonymous may be just as good or better than scientifically proven treatments to help people quit drinking, according to a new review. But AA still doesn't work for everyone.
Prison For Forced Addiction Treatment? A Parent's 'Last Resort' Has Consequences
Saturday, April 20, 2019
Thousands of Massachusetts residents have been committed to treatment for addiction against their will. Some families say locking up addicts in prison isn't treatment. Others say it saves lives.
'Church Of Safe Injection' Offers Needles, Naloxone To Prevent Opioid Overdoses
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
The group says it has 18 chapters in eight states, all of them funded by private, anonymous donations. Members distribute free and clean drug-use supplies even at the risk of being arrested.
New Court Documents Reveal OxyContin Manufacturer's Marketing Tactics
Saturday, February 02, 2019
Court documents released show that Purdue Pharma, which manufactures OxyContin, sought to push doctors to prescribe the painkiller even though the company knew it was addictive and dangerous.
How Massachusetts Deals With Opioid Addicts: Jail Or Rehab?
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Massachusetts is one of many states that allow addicts to be forced into residential treatment. The state's newest facility is a former prison that is still run much like a prison.
Massachusetts Prosecutors Move To Dismiss Thousands Of Tainted Drug Cases
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
Prosecutors in Massachusetts have a court imposed deadline this week to decide how many cases they will dismiss because of a drug lab scandal that potentially tainted 24,000 criminal cases. They estimate that fewer than 1,000 cases will be re-prosecuted. The scandal involved a former state chemist found guilty of tampering with evidence.
Crowds Unite At Women's March In Boston
Saturday, January 21, 2017
As the Women's March on Washington continues in the nation's capitol, people are marching in cities across the world. Deborah Becker of member station WBUR is at the march in Boston.
Boston Light, First Lighthouse In U.S., Celebrates 300 Years
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
The nation's first lighthouse turns 300 years old Wednesday. NPR takes a tour of Boston Light.
Opioid Epidemic Moves Police To Help Rather Than Arrest Drug Users
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Many police departments are trying various strategies to help people get into drug treatment rather than arrest them. Over the past year, police in Gloucester, Mass., started an Angel Program.
Private Investors Eagerly Enter Addiction Treatment Business
Thursday, April 07, 2016
The cry for more substance abuse treatment beds has not missed the ears of some private investors. They're eager to get in on the estimated $35 billion treatment business.
Insurers Hire Social Workers To Tackle The Opioid Epidemic
Monday, January 25, 2016
Some health plans in Massachusetts are putting tighter limits on painkiller prescriptions. Others are hiring their own social workers to help customers who struggle with opioid abuse quit for good.
At This Dinner Party, Talking About Death With Strangers Isn't Taboo
Saturday, January 02, 2016
Talking about grief and the loss of a loved one isn't typically dinner conversation. Many people, even those struggling to cope with loss, will avoid talking about such heavy topics, especially over supper.
But a fledgling nonprofit designs dinners specifically for young adults to get together and talk about their ...
Reversing Opioid Overdoses Saves Lives But Isn't A Cure-All
Wednesday, October 07, 2015
Having police, school nurses, drug users and family equipped with kits to reverse an overdose saves lives, doctors say. But reversing addiction requires follow-up care that many users aren't getting.
Gloucester, Mass., Police Program Provides Treatment For Drug Users
Thursday, June 04, 2015
Drug addicts have begun turning themselves into the police department in Gloucester, Mass., after the police chief announced an amnesty program. Addicts who turn themselves in and han...
Trouble In Paradise: Opiate Use Spikes On Martha's Vineyard
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
There have been six overdose deaths on the posh island since last August. An addiction specialist on Martha's Vineyard calls it a "phenomenal rate for a community of 16,000 people."
'Magic' Overdose Drug Works, But Demand And Price On The Rise
Friday, February 28, 2014
First responders nationwide are expanding use of Narcan, used to treat heroin and other opioid overdoses. But the drug is pricey — and only one company makes it.
Despite Scandals, Nation's Crime Labs Have Seen Little Change
Sunday, January 05, 2014
The nation's crime labs are no strangers to scandal. Last year in Massachusetts, bogus testing by former chemist Annie Dookhan called into question tens of thousands of cases and led to the release of more than 300 people from the state's prisons.
There are currently no uniform standards ...