CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Introduction
Criminal justice reform has always been a primary focus of mine. Thanks to the work done recently in 2018 with the Criminal Justice Reform omnibus bill, and the work of many organizations we are seeing remarkable successes in that area.
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All of my criminal justice reform bills – in addition to many of those that I co-sponsored – share the philosophy that harsh, punitive, ‘tough on crime’ policies actually trap people in a cycle of crime and recidivism, where they spend their lives moving in and out of prison with no way to break the cycle. Research shows that by providing more humane sentencing and support to justice-involved individuals, we can help them to reintegrate into their communities, offering an opportunity to succeed and contribute to society, thereby reducing crime long term.
General Criminal Justice Legislation
Justice-Involved Youth Legislation
Our commitment to the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable youth means critically examining our approaches and always striving to improve. By utilizing data-driven, evidence-based approaches, we can ensure justice involved youth have the necessary supports and services to lead healthy lives. ​
Justice-Involved Women Legislation
In addition to cosponsoring many pieces of legislation targeting the system as a whole, I sponsored bills dealing specifically with women and children in our criminal justice system. Women and children who end up involved with the justice system have specific needs, and it is important that our system recognize that and provide for those needs.