House, Senate, Enact Sweeping Criminal Justice Reforms
April 4, 2018 - Today, I am proud to join my colleagues in the House to enact comprehensive criminal justice reform legislation. The final bill, which was the result of a months-long conference committee, is a profound piece of legislation that will have a great impact on so many lives here in Mission Hill, Jamaica Plain, Roslindale, Brookline, and across the Commonwealth. It’s truly a once in an era bill that tackles the criminal justice system front to back, ensuring public safety while helping those who want to turn their lives around.
We’ve been engaged in this conversation for a long time. Growing up in public housing in Mission Hill, many of my childhood friends felt the impacts of an unjust criminal justice system. And they continue to pay the price, despite having served their sentences a long time ago. It’s a big deal that we’ve acted on reform, and I’m proud to vote for today’s conference committee report.
There are over 15 provisions in the legislation, wide-reaching in scope to ensure we address the justice system every step of the way. From juvenile justice and expungement to bail reform and mandatory minimums, we work to ensure a criminal justice system that enables people to turn their lives around.
Addressing juvenile justice was a priority for me, because kids are bound to make mistakes. If a high schooler gets in a fight, that charge can haunt them the rest of their life. For the first time in Massachusetts, the state will address juvenile justice through expungement – giving people the opportunity to completely erase a criminal record. The bill creates a process for expunging certain juvenile (under 18) and criminal offenses for young adults (18-21). It also permits expungements of records where the offense is no longer a crime, like the possession of marijuana. Further, it raises the minimum ages of criminal responsibility from 7 to 12 and establishes a task force to examine and study the treatment and impact of the court system and correctional system on individuals ages 18 to 24.
Additionally, our legislation eliminates mandatory minimum sentences for certain low-level drug offenses, increases the threshold for felony larceny from $250 to $1,200, establishes a standard for fines and fees to be reduced so people don’t go to jail simply because they can’t afford to pay a fine, expense, or parole fee, and establishes that a person's financial resources be taken into account when determining bail. These provisions build on our goal of giving people opportunities to lift themselves up instead of tripping people up in jail.
People leaving prison have an unemployment rate 50 percent higher than the general public. The sooner offenders find employment, the less likely they are to commit additional crimes. Being able to seal your CORI is a game-changer. We build upon our progressive actions relative to CORI in 2010 and 2012, shortening the waiting period to seal a CORI report from 10 to 7 years for felonies and 5 to 3 years for misdemeanors. It also allows a conviction for resisting arrest to be sealed. These policies align with our goals of reducing recidivism and expanding access to opportunities.
In the midst of a public health crisis, the bill requires district attorneys to create diversion programs so people with substance use disorders or mental illness and veterans can access appropriate services and programs. It creates a mechanism for compassionate release, and places limitations on solitary confinement to ensure people are treated humanely.
These monumental reforms are going to make a real impact in the lives of people across the Commonwealth. It complements our work passing the Council of State Governments report in November, which included $3.5 million for recidivism-reduction programs. We in Massachusetts focus on treating people as individuals, instead of the result of broad-based policies.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated 50 years ago today, amidst a fight for social justice and equality for people of color. He dedicated his life to love and to justice for his fellow human beings. I couldn’t think of a better way to commemorate those teachings than with the legislation we passed today.
For years, black and Latino communities have been disproportionately impacted by an unjust justice system. By working together, we have identified ways to improve the lives of people we represent.
In my community, we say, “Si se puede” – yes we can. Well, now we can say, “Lo hicimos.” We did it.