The enlightened MA voter is sick of wasting money and human potential on imprisonment:
Two-thirds of residents said prevention programs for youth and job training and education for inmates should be higher priorities in addressing crime than longer prison sentences or putting more police on the streets, according to the poll released Thursday by MassINC, a nonpartisan Boston-based think tank focused on Massachusetts public policy issues. MassINC is the publisher of CommonWealth.
…Just 8 percent of registered voters said mandatory minimum sentences were the best way for judges to deal with those convicted of crimes, while 46 percent favor allowing judges to use their discretion in sentencing, within certain guidelines, and 41 percent favor giving judges complete leeway to determine the most appropriate sentence on a case by case basis.
Source: Mass. voters strongly back criminal justice reform – CommonWealth Magazine
If MA would like to be less racist, law enforcement and sentencing would be a great place to start:
Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz, who has filed a more comprehensive reform bill, said black and Latino residents make up less than one-fifth of the state’s population, but account for half of the incarcerated population and 75 percent of the population serving mandatory minimum sentences.
Hopefully this poll will motivate DeLeo and Baker to proceed more boldly on criminal justice reform. They’ve rolled out a limited set of reforms intended to reduce recidivism, but not followed the advice of SJC Chief Ralph Gants with regard to reforming mandatory minimums, bail, etc.
The poll was released, incidentally, just before we learn that AG Sessions is reversing Obama-era policy, requiring federal prosecutors request mandatory minimums for drug offenses. Sessions is a thoroughly-documented, unvarnished racist; full re-implementation of 1980’s drug hysteria is the MO. And he has a puritanical hostility to recreational use of even marijuana.
“We’re on a bad trend right now. We’ve got too much complacency about drugs. Too much talk about recreational drugs,” Sessions said, railing against what he called “the pro-drug crowd.”
May MA stand for #resistance. They go one way, we go the other.
Christopher says
Looks like African-Americans just got their answer to Trump’s rhetorical question during the campaign of, “What have you got to lose?” under a Trump administration:(
hesterprynne says
This is the legislative session where criminal justice reform is going to happen, Even the Gov is on board — a little (see johntmay’s most recent post).
Even lawmakers who are frightened by the prospect of appearing “soft on crime” may be persuaded that mandatory minimums (at $50,000 per year per inmate) don’t make a whole lot of sense.
thegreenmiles says
MA’s Democratic House Speaker joins the Republican governor in opposing extremely popular criminal justice reform, then we wonder why the Democratic brand isn’t more popular
Charley on the MTA says
Gotta say, I’m not crazy about talk of the Dem “brand”, when especially in MA, Dems are all over the map politically, and that’s part of why they have majorities.
That being said, DeLeo does have a habit of making progressives — who are basically coerced into voting for him — look like chumps. So there’s got to be a plan B strategy in the House for a kind of internal resistance.
thegreenmiles says
Wait, what did you just say? It sounded like you said Dems having majorities in the MA legislature is proof they’re doing something right. MA is one of the bluest states in the country & Dems having majorities is proof they can field living candidates.
Charley on the MTA says
There are structural reasons why ppl identify and vote Dem – with permanent majority, there’s not much incentive to run as an R even if you’re pretty conservative. So it’s always been a big tent party.
The frustration over the last several years is that DeLeo refuses to allow even things that are *broadly popular.* Which is your point, I believe.