Issue Position: Criminal Justice

Issue Position

I BELIEVE PRISON IS FOR REHABILITATION, NOT PUNISHMENT

Our goal as a society should be to keep people out of prison, not put them in. I support expansion of Restorative Justice programs for resolution of non-violent crimes. These programs, as well as other diversion programs such as ROCA and UTEC in Lowell, have been shown to dramatically reduce recidivism, are far less costly than imprisonment, and provide a greater degree of satisfaction to victims. According to a report by WBUR radio in 2014, it costs $45,500 a year to keep someone in a state prison, and $37,000 in a county jail--but even the most intensive intervention programs for extremely high risk youth cost less than $20,000 per year. Cost savings from these programs should be invested in programs aimed at rehabilitation of prisoners, such as mental health treatment, counseling, and education.

WE MUST PUT AN END TO CRUEL PUNISHMENT

Punishments such as solitary confinement and shackling of prison inmates are being used with increasing frequency. They often constitute cruel and unusual punishment, which is specifically prohibited by the 8th Amendment of the Bill of Rights. I will be a strong advocate for ending these inhumane practices.

I OPPOSE ICE OFFICES IN PRISONS

Our State should not cooperate with the oppressive operations of ICE, especially now that they have resorted to cruel and illegal actions against refugees. The US Constitution explicitly protects the states from being coerced into using their resources for federal law enforcement, and I will resist any such cooperation.

I WILL FIGHT TO END THE SCHOOL-TO-PRISON PIPELINE

Zero-tolerance policies, the presence of police in schools, and the underfunding of in-school counseling all contribute to pushing kids out of school and toward the criminal justice system. Students of color are disciplined more harshly than their white peers. Punishment, often in the form of suspension and expulsion from schools, sets in motion a process where students who often need support and education the most are excluded, leading to low-self esteem and hopelessness. These factors, often exacerbated by poverty, lead to behaviors that bring these kids into contact with law-enforcement agencies, which are also more likely to be more punitive toward people of color.

We must transform our schools into places where students are supported instead of punished, by doing away with zero-tolerance policies. A fully-funded education system must include sufficient counseling and family support resources and creative, humane ways to deal with student behavioral issues. Such resources not only give our youth a better chance at life, they are a better investment in their future.

I WILL FIGHT TO STOP THE INCREASING INCARCERATION OF WOMEN

In the 1970s there were approximately 250,000 men and women in prison and jails. Nationwide, women's state prison populations grew 834% over nearly 40 years--more than double the pace of the growth among men. Today there are 205,000 women in prison and jails. 64% of mothers in state prisons lived with their children before they were sent to prison. In 2010, black women were incarcerated at nearly 3 times the rate of white women. Hispanic women were incarcerated at 1.2 times the rate of white women (64 vs. 53 per 100,000). This number may be low due to inaccurate reporting.

According to The National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, 60-70% of incarcerated women and girls have experienced physical or sexual violence in childhood and 70-80% of incarcerated women report adulthood intimate partner violence. In the general population, one in three adult women experience domestic violence, and 20% of girls experience sexual abuse and assault.

The majority of women entangled in the criminal legal system have experienced zero tolerance policies in school, the school-to-prison pipeline, racism, misogyny, domestic violence and sexual abuse, poverty, community and police violence, and extreme policing. Gender non-conforming girls and women and lesbians also experience homophobia and trans phobia. Often, abused women revert to drugs and alcohol for relief. Substance abuse for girls and women who do not have access to quality health care and substance use treatment can lead to criminal activities such as selling sex, theft and check fraud, or selling small amounts of drugs.

Nearly half of all single Black and Hispanic women possess zero or negative wealth. If a woman is held on bail even for a few weeks, she can lose her apartment, car, job and even custody of her children. Jail is both a consequence and a cause of poverty.

I promise to help keep women out of prison by working to change mandatory minimum sentencing, to overhaul the unfair bail system that puts undue stress on the economically disadvantaged, and to provide adequate health care and other support that will help women cope effectively societal pressures.

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