Mandatory minimum drug sentences costly mistake

DA talking points obscure real issues

SUPPORTERS OF MANDATORY minimum sentences for drug crimes are circulating a set of disconnected talking points on Beacon Hill that obscure the real issues. The debate is heating up as the Legislature prepares to hold hearings this month on bills that would eliminate Massachusetts laws requiring judges to impose a prison term of a specified

Joint Committee on the Judiciary to hold hearing

Several bills on criminal justice reform will be heard

Monday, June 5 at 1:00pm, the Joint Committee on the Judiciary will hold a hearing at which several bills concerning criminal justice reform will be heard. Among them, An Act for justice reinvestment (S.791, H.2308), filed by Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz of Boston and Representative Mary Keefe of Worcester, offers comprehensive reform efforts as well as

Finding Common Ground

Recapping the Fourth Annual Criminal Justice Reform Coalition Policy Summit

Finding Common Ground The Fourth Annual Criminal Justice Reform Coalition Policy Summit brought together over 300 leaders on Monday morning at the Omni Parker House in Boston. The program, entitled Finding Common Ground, featured a two-part conversation on reform and reinvestment, presentations of new polling (slides) and research, and remarks from a diverse group of thought leaders. Representative Katherine

Report: Inmate levels down but spending keeps rising

At sheriff facilities, it’s one guard for every two prisoners

THE NUMBER OF INMATES in the state’s prisons and jails is going down, but the cost of operating those facilities is going up, largely because correctional institutions are adding more employees and paying their existing workers more, according to a study by MassINC. The study found that the average daily inmate population of state and

Correctional Spending Soars While Prison Population Declines, According to New Report from MassINC

“Getting Tough on Spending” Report Shows Waste, Inefficiencies in Staffing

The report, Getting Tough on Spending, an 18 percent increase in spending for the Department of Correction and county sheriff departments between fiscal 2011 and 2016, while the prison population declined by almost 3,000 or 12 percent. The research further shows that this growth is focused primarily on raises and new hires for correctional officers,

Getting Tough on Spending

An Examination of Correctional Expenditure in Massachusetts

In 2013, a diverse cross-section of leaders stepped forward to form the Massachusetts Criminal Justice Reform Coalition. Led by Wayne Budd, Kevin Burke and Max Stern, members were drawn to the coalition by a shared understanding that the Commonwealth’s criminal justice system was riddled with counterproductive policies. They joined hands united in the belief that

Boston reentry initiative hits the skids

Award-winning program to aid those leaving prison loses federal funding

BOSTON’S WIDELY ACCLAIMED prisoner reentry program, which is aimed at reducing recidivism by helping offenders who are released from prison with everything from employment and housing to addiction services, was quietly shut down last fall when a federal grant funding the efforts wasn’t renewed. The shutdown, which was never announced, is a big setback to

Mass. voters strongly back criminal justice reform, new poll says

Residents favor preventive measures over incarceration

MASSACHUSETTS RESIDENTS STRONGLY support reform of the state’s criminal justice system, including elimination of mandatory minimum sentences and a greater emphasis on rehabilitation and education programs than incarceration, according to a new poll. Two-thirds of residents said prevention programs for youth and job training and education for inmates should be higher priorities in addressing crime

New MassINC Poll: Voters embrace end to mandatory minimum sentencing, support second chance reforms

See Prison Contributing to Recidivism, Support More Aggressive Criminal Justice Reforms

Click here for the topline results. BOSTON – Massachusetts voters strongly favor judicial discretion over mandatory minimum sentencing and broadly support more aggressive reforms to the criminal justice system than are now being considered by legislators, a new MassINC poll shows. The poll and two new policy research reports on the state’s criminal justice system
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