Ropes & Gray Supports Innovative Massachusetts Juvenile Justice Pay for Success Initiative

In The News
January 30, 2014

Ropes & Gray announced today its pro bono commitment to the Massachusetts Juvenile Justice Pay for Success Initiative, an innovative new program aimed at reducing recidivism of young men who are in the probation system or exiting the juvenile justice system. Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick joined key program organizers in Boston on Jan. 29 to celebrate the launch of the program, which was developed and is being overseen by Third Sector Capital Partners Inc.  

Anticipated to serve more than 900 young men aged 17 to 23 in the Boston, Chelsea and Springfield, Mass. areas, the program provides key life skills, education and employment through Roca, a nonprofit provider of high-impact intervention. The program is a “pay for success” initiative under which providers of commercial and philanthropic funding assume project risk and finance the program with the condition that they will be repaid by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts if the program demonstrates measureable social impact and savings for the Commonwealth.

Ropes & Gray has been working with Third Sector Capital Partners Inc. for many months to help establish the Massachusetts Juvenile Justice Pay for Success Initiative. As of mid-January, the firm had contributed about 1,250 pro bono lawyer hours to ensure the success of this important program. More information about the Massachusetts Juvenile Justice Pay for Success Initiative is available at the Third Sector Capital Partners Inc. website

The Ropes & Gray team was overseen by partner Winthrop Minot and included private equity partner Howard Glazer, tax partner Kendi Ozmon, and finance associate Amy Olson.