Sannicandro, Walsh Push For Action on Criminal Justice Reform

The following is a press release

Photo by Petroni Media Company

BOSTON – As members of the Harm Reduction Caucus, Framingham State Representative Chris Walsh and Representative Tom Sannicandro along with the MA Black and Latino Caucus, House and Senate Progressive Caucuses, and the Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators Justice Involved Women Task Force joined together on Monday to present a united call to action on critical criminal justice reforms.

These combined caucuses represent over half of the legislature.

This is the first time in history that these five caucuses have united in an effort to bring about a more just and effective criminal justice system.

“Today’s event was the first time ever these five caucuses came together to make an organized, coordinated call for action,” said Co-Chair of the Harm Reduction and Drug Law Reform Caucus Sannicandro, a Democrat who lives in Ashland. “I feel inspired by the movement within the legislature for critical, data driven and common sense criminal justice reform. We must build on the momentum of this event to ensure swift action.”

“Legislative decisions that are a result of good data make sense and cents,” said Walsh, a Democrat who lives in Framingham. “Our current policies on mass incarceration have cost the Commonwealth in real dollars and in human capital.”

The Massachusetts prison population has tripled since the 1980s.

Massachusetts’ incarceration rate is 2.5 times higher than Spain, 3 times higher than China and Canada, and nearly 5 times higher than Germany.[1] It costs an average of $53,000 a year to house one inmate in a Massachusetts prison.[2] This dramatic rise in prison population can largely be attributed to the War on Drugs.

However, the over incarceration of drug addicts and low level offenders has failed to reduce substance abuse or violent crime.

“With these bills we are focusing on having an effective, rational and humane set of standards that work to turn nonviolent, law breakers into productive members of our communities which is a win for everyone,” said Rep. Walsh.

In addition to being extremely costly with little reward, the system of mass incarceration has also disproportionately affected communities of color and low-income communities. While African Americans and Hispanics are overrepresented in prison populations nationally, there is an even starker racial divide in Massachusetts.

Despite all races using substances at equal levels, a greater proportion of Massachusetts inmates are racial or ethnic minorities than compared to the national average, while whites are underrepresented in the Massachusetts prison population.[3]

A number of reforms have been implemented in different states that reduce incarceration, increase public safety, save money, and more effectively ensure healthy communities. The Caucuses today have highlighted a number of evidence-based reforms many of which have already been successfully implemented in other states. Today, the caucuses stand in solidarity by affirming the need for change and standing behind practical solutions.

Rahsaan Hall, ACLU: “The ACLU of Massachusetts is honored to be a part of this effort to bring meaningful reform to the Commonwealth. We are especially concerned with the racial disparities that exist within the criminal justice system and hope that those in attendance will come away empowered to make these proposed reforms a reality.”

Sherriff Steven Tompkins, Suffolk County: “Many of the people in our care and custody really belong in an addiction recovery program or diversionary program instead of with us behind bars. But, because of mandatory minimum sentencing, judges are left with little to no discretion with respect to sentencing for low–level, non–violent drug offenses.

Also, the practice of suspending the divers licenses of those convicted of drug offenses – crimes that have nothing to do with the operation of a motor vehicle, mind you – runs completely counter to the efforts we undertake in our facilities to rehabilitate. We’re asking these people to serve their time, come out and earn an honest living, and not reoffend, but then we decrease their chances for success by taking away their ability to get to worksites or addiction recovery programs that may not be accessible by public transportation? It makes absolutely no sense.”

Andrea Goode James, Families for Justice as Healing: “I understand the need to focus on re-entry, I’ve been through that process. But we also cannot be afraid to say the words ‘no entry!’ We need to put some energy into policies focused on no entry.”

Kathleen Dennehy, Former MA DOC Commissioner: Unlike our sister states, we have been slower to embrace the calls for sentencing reform and prison and criminal justice reform. We now have a window of opportunity to reclaim our place as an innovative leader in the country by shaping a new vision for data-driven prison reform...one that is urgently needed. Today’s event showcases some of timely and important criminal justice bills pending in the legislature.