Social media played a critical role in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing by facilitating information sharing and group coordination. The document discusses how social media can be used by corrections departments to further their agenda, but cautions that effective use requires skill and care to avoid spreading misinformation or confidential details. It provides examples of potential social media uses and risks for corrections departments.

1. Corrections and Social Media
Can it be used to further our agenda?

2. What is Social Media?
 Social media refers to the means of
interactions among people in which
they create, share, and exchange
information and ideas in virtual
communities and networks.

3. Social Media Lessons from the
Boston Marathon Bombing
 We all witnessed a series of surreal events in the city
of Boston, with the Marathon bombings and the
subsequent identification and apprehension of the
suspects.
 Now that the crisis and chaos of the bombings and
the hunt for the suspects have passed, we can reflect
on the events and what we might learn from them.
While reflections upon life, family, community, and
country are certainly paramount, we also saw social
media playing a critical role. What can we learn about
social media from these events?

4. Recognize what is possible
 Many have noted that a key feature of social
media is its ability to facilitate group action.
Rarely has that application been seen with
greater clarity than through the events at the
Boston Marathon.
 What would have previously required
professional or governmental organizations
days or weeks to accomplish was improvised
in real time without formal coordination as
people connected and collaborated using
social media platforms.

5. New Communication Platforms
 As cell phone service jammed from
overuse, people turned to Facebook to
let their friends and family know they
were safe.
 As the major news organizations
scrambled to understand the events
and its details, Twitter rapidly
aggregated information and images
from everyday people at the scenes of
the various events.

6. Effective collaboration using social
media is a learned skill
 The Marathon Bombing called attention to
the fact that collaboration using social media
can also go very wrong. Although Twitter
proved an invaluable source of breaking
news throughout the event, it quickly
became clogged with confusion and
misinformation after initial reports were in.
 Twitter also made information public that the
authorities hoped to keep confidential, which
could have easily been used by the suspects
to evade capture (but thankfully wasn’t).

7. Use social media to enhance
traditional processes
 Social media is most valuable when it
augments traditional organizational
processes and professional standards.
 We need to be smart about what we
post.

8. Real Effects of Social Media

9. The MA DOC Facebook Page

10. Hey good lookin’…where are you
from?

11. Reach out and touch someone…

12. The Cold Case

13. Drug Smuggling

14. Facebook…Friend or Foe?

15. And Now?

16. What if we do nothing?

17. Our Twitter Page

18. What are other states sharing?