Over these last few years, we’ve often heard about the difficulty corrections leaders have serving young adults. Motivating inmates in their teens and early 20s to participate in programming that will help them succeed is difficult, in part because severing ties with family and other realities of life behind bars hit youth particularly hard. Our
Viewing Justice Reinvestment Through a Developmental Lens
New approaches to reducing young adult recidivism in Massachusetts
Residents ages 18 to 24 are the most likely demographic to find their way into Massachusetts prisons and the quickest to return to them upon release. Innovative models to serve justice-involved young adults have enormous potential to reduce recidivism. These new approaches are also central to increasing public safety in high-crime neighborhoods, where young adults
New study finds criminal justice system needs a different approach with young adults
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Changing Massachusetts’s approach to young offenders should be a central focus for the state’s efforts to reduce recidivism and increase public safety, a new MassINC research report suggests. Young adults ages 18 to 24 are the most likely to find their way into Massachusetts prisons and the quickest to return to them upon release. Research ties
Drug Sentencing Opponents Say Poll Shows Public Agrees With Them
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE A majority of Massachusetts voters want to repeal mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses and an even larger percentage supports shifting resources from jails to drug addiction treatment programs, according to a poll commissioned by an advocacy group. Commissioned by Families Against Mandatory Minimums and conducted by the Suffolk University Political
Ben Forman Testifies On Criminal Justice Reform
Testimony Given Before the Massachusetts Sentencing Commission
MassINC Research Director Ben Forman testifies on Criminal Justice Reform before the Massachusetts Sentencing Commission at the State House. What follows below is a copy of his written testimony. Wednesday, November 18, 2015. Chair Lu and members of the Commission, I thank you for the opportunity to testify this morning on behalf of MassINC and the
Kicking off the Justice Reinvestment Policy Brief Series
The MassCJRC Journal
MassINC and the Criminal Justice Reform Coalition are excited to announce the launch of the Justice Reinvestment Policy Brief Series. Over the coming months, this new research initiative will succinctly examine Justice Reinvestment in Massachusetts with the release of several policy primers exploring critical criminal justice issues. As many of you will have already seen, we
BNN News Interviews MassINC Research Director, Ben Forman
On Monday, October 5th MassINC Research Director, Ben Forman sat down with Christopher Lovett on Network Neighborhood News to discuss his latest report: Exploring the Potential for Pretrial Innovation in Massachusetts .
Crime, Cost & Consequences
A Two Year Progress Report
In 2013, MassINC issued Crime, Cost, and Consequences, a comprehensive look at the performance of the state’s criminal justice system. At the Second Annual Massachusetts Criminal Justice Reform Coalition Summit, we issued this update. These new figures show steady progress in some areas, while other problems identified in the 2013 report continue to present stubborn challenges.
Listen to MassINC’s Benjamin Forman discuss criminal justice
The Mara Dolan Show
On Monday, October 5th MassINC Research Director Ben Forman joined Mara Dolan on her show to talk about racial disparities in bail and pre-trial detention in Massachusetts.
Watch MassINC’s Benjamin Forman discuss criminal justice
On WGBH's Greater Boston with Jim Braude
On September 30th, MassINC Research Director Benjamin Forman sat down with Jim Braude on WGBH’s Greater Boston to discuss criminal justice and his latest report: Exploring the Potential for Pretrial Innovation in Massachusetts. Segment begins at 10:00 mark.