WESTFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - State Senator John Velis called on a state agency to re-evaluate the proposed location of a re-entry facility in Westfield.

The facility run by the nonprofit Community Resources for Justice would house prisoners after their release, so they can re-enter society. But parents are protesting the facility, since it would go on Southampton Road, less than 1,000 feet from two schools. Under state law, the city can’t stop the facility from going there.

Now, Senator Velis, along with representatives Kelly Pease and Michael J. Finn, wrote to the Commissioner of Probation Services, asking him to listen to the parents’ concerns, saying “In light of the significant local response to this proposal, and the absence of clear communication throughout this process, we urge the Massachusetts Probation Service to clearly communicate the concerns of the residents and elected official to CRJ.” The letter also asks the commissioner and CRJ to reconsider the location

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