MassINC, the Massachusetts Bar Association and the Massachusetts
Criminal Justice Reform Coalition hosted a presentation and panel
discussion entitled "Reform, Re-entry and Results: Change and
Progress in the Massachusetts Criminal Justice System" on Thursday,
Feb. 20, at UMass Boston.
The event featured remarks from Gov. Deval L. Patrick, who
announced a program that aims to reduce recidivism by prison
inmates by 50 percent during the next five years. The governor
called for the reinstatement of the Sentencing Commission, the
limited use of restraints on mentally ill inmates in state prisons
to only those that pose "serious and immediate" danger, and the
abolishment of the use of restraints on pregnant inmates during
labor.
Patrick highlighted the importance of re-entry programs, stating
that 97 percent of those incarcerated will return to Massachusetts
communities after serving time in prison. He also introduced a
"step down" program in which state prison inmates would be
transferred back into society through county correctional
facilities before their release. In addition, Patrick noted his
newly released budget calls for doubling the number of mental
health specialty courts from three to six in order to prevent those
who commit crimes due to mental illness from going to state prison
or county houses of correction.
Patrick also stressed the prevention and treatment of substance
abuse as primarily a health problem.
"Punishing people for addiction doesn't work. We need to treat
substance abuse as a health problem instead of a criminal one,"
said Patrick.
Patrick's remarks came as the introduction to the release of new
MassINC Polling Group results, "Ready for Reform? Public Opinion on
Criminal Justice in Massachusetts." The MassINC Polling Group
results were derived from a recently concluded public opinion
research project on criminal justice reform in the state. The
research included four focus groups and a statewide telephone poll
of 1,207 Massachusetts residents.
The six main findings of the research study are:
- Massachusetts residents want the criminal justice
system to focus on prevention and rehabilitation - two areas where
the current system is not seen as effective. (64 percent
think the criminal justice system should prioritize crime
prevention or rehabilitation.)
- Two-thirds want reforms that result in fewer people
sent to prison, reversing previous high levels of support for new
prisons. (67 percent prefer reforming the system so fewer
people are sent to prison rather than building more prisons.)
- Residents show little support for mandatory minimum
sentencing. (Only 11 percent preferred mandatory minimum
sentences compared to judges using either sentencing guidelines or
determining sentences on a case-by-case basis.)
- The public sees drug use as a health problem rather
than a crime, and seeks an increased focus on rehabilitation rather
than incarceration. (64 percent are more likely to
perceive drug use as a health problem rather than a crime.)
- Concerns about supervision cloud the picture of public
support. (The focus groups found residents do not believe
the supervision system is effective right now.)
- In areas where more inmates are released, residents
agree with the broad, pro-reform sentiment of the rest of the
state. (49 percent of Department of Correction releases
will take place in 10 communities, thus oversampling was done in
these communities.)
The event concluded with a panel discussion of experts and
activists responding to Patrick's remarks as well as the new public
opinion data. Panelists were: Greg Torres (moderator), president,
MassINC; True-See Allah, Director, Boston Reentry Initiative -
Suffolk County Sheriff's Department; Kevin Burke, Massachusetts
Secretary of Public Safety and Security (2007-2010), co-chair,
Massachusetts Criminal Justice Reform Coalition; Andrea Cabral,
Massachusetts Secretary of Public Safety and Security; John
Larivee, CEO, Community Resources for Justice; Marian T. Ryan,
Middlesex District Attorney; Max D. Stern, partner, Stern Shapiro
Weissberg & Garin LLP, co-chair, Massachusetts Criminal Justice
Reform Coalition; and Steven W. Tompkins, Suffolk County
Sheriff.