Massachusetts’s criminal justice reform legislation is arguably the most wide-ranging and comprehensive in the country, at least as far as progress in a single legislative session goes. However, unlike most […]
Criminal justice reform
Posted inPolitics
NFL owners yield to Trump, bottom line
In the end, the megamillionaire NFL owners decided to take a knee. Not a knee of protest or principle, as some of their employees pursued last season, but a knee […]
Posted inThe Download
NFL owners yield to Trump, bottom line
In the end, the megamillionaire NFL owners decided to take a knee. Not a knee of protest or principle, as some of their employees pursued last season, but a knee […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Devin McCourty tackles criminal justice reform
When New England Patriots co-captain Devin McCourty joined the protests first set off by Colin Kaepernick and “took a knee” during the National Anthem last season, he was making a […]
Posted inThe Download
The Codcast: Devin McCourty tackles criminal justice reform
When New England Patriots co-captain Devin McCourty joined the protests first set off by Colin Kaepernick and “took a knee” during the National Anthem last season, he was making a […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Warren, Brownsberger go at it on criminal justice bill
The sweeping criminal justice bill that Gov. Charlie Baker signed earlier this month received widespread, but not universal, praise as a welcome turn away from the tough-on-crime policies of the […]
Posted inThe Download
The Codcast: Warren, Brownsberger go at it on criminal justice bill
The sweeping criminal justice bill that Gov. Charlie Baker signed earlier this month received widespread, but not universal, praise as a welcome turn away from the tough-on-crime policies of the […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Criminal justice bill reaches finish line
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER signed sweeping criminal justice legislation on Friday, capping several years of discussion on Beacon Hill and casting Massachusetts squarely in the national wave of rethinking tough-on-crime laws […]
Posted inPolitics
State follows voters’ lead on criminal justice
The Senate and House sent a sweeping criminal justice reform bill to Governor Charlie Baker’s desk this week. The Governor has not said how he will proceed. Details matter, and […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Major justice reform bill clears Legislature
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE WITH ONLY A WHIFF of opposition, the Massachusetts Legislature on Wednesday passed a broad package of criminal justice system reforms that have languished for years, signaling a […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
With criminal justice bill passed, what about services for ex-inmates?
LAWMAKERS PASSED A long-awaited, comprehensive criminal justice reform bill on Wednesday. But to fully realize its widely touted goal of reducing recidivism they will need to back some of the […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Compromise criminal justice bill unveiled
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE A HANDFUL OF MANDATORY MINIMUM SENTENCES for drug offenses would be repealed and the state’s approach to juvenile offenders overhauled in a sweeping criminal justice bill […]
Posted inOpinion
DAs need to be held accountable
WHO ARE THE MOST POWERFUL people in the criminal justice system? A lot of people quickly say, judges. The real answer: district attorneys. Look no further than the timely case […]
Posted inOpinion
A new social contract on public safety
THE MASSACHUSETTS SENATE recently passed a comprehensive criminal justice reform bill. It aims to improve public safety while reducing the size and cost of the prison system. More importantly, the […]
Posted inOpinion
A Rikers view of criminal justice reform
I LEFT MY HOMETOWN of Boston three years ago to find myself inside Rikers Island. What I witnessed inside that most infamous jail complex would become my education on the […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
House pushes narrower criminal justice legislation
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE MASSACHUSETTS HOUSE plans to consider substantial changes to the way justice is delivered, with a powerful committee polling members Monday on legislation to repeal certain […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
House criminal justice bill seen taking up broad reform
A KEY HOUSE LEADER signaled that his chamber is likely to respond to a sweeping Senate criminal justice bill with legislation that tackles many of the issues in the Senate […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Baker balks at parts of Senate criminal justice bill
STATE HOUSE NEWS MAJOR PROVISIONS of the criminal justice bill passed late last week by the Senate “just seem to not make a heck of a lot of sense,” Gov. […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Criminal justice bill can be game changer for young adults
THE COMMONWEALTH’S criminal justice reform efforts offer a unique opportunity to achieve a triple impact: improve public safety, reduce public spending on crime prevention, and redefine futures for our highest-risk […]
Posted inOpinion
Inequality, criminal justice reform are linked
FOR ALL THE TALK about inequality these days, it’s rare to see policy proposals that could actually make a difference. Politicians of all persuasions rail against the disappearing middle class, […]
Posted inThe Download
Baker and mandatory minimums
Gov. Charlie Baker has won praise for his efforts to increase awareness of opioid addiction and treatment options, but he continues to face criticism for his proposal to deal with […]
Posted inThe Download
The Codcast: Brownsberger tees up criminal justice reform bill
The tough-on-crime era of the 1980s and 90s has given way to what some are calling the smart-on-crime era, a time in which policymakers and politicians are rethinking what it […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Middlesex DA Ryan supports repeal of some mandatory minimum drug sentences
Here is the statement released by Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan on October 5, 2017, on the Senate criminal justice reform legislation: “As a prosecutor for more than thirty […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Senate goes big on criminal justice bill
THE SENATE IS poised to consider a wide-ranging criminal justice bill that would reform everything from the bail system to mandatory minimum sentences and fees and penalties that weigh heavily […]
