Criminal Justice Reform
194th General Court (2025-2026)
An Act Promoting Fairness in Parole
Parole is often revoked for prisoners for minor violations of their conditions of release. This bill provides safeguards to ensure a person is not reincarcerated unless it is absolutely necessary.
An Act to Prevent the Imposition of Mandatory Minimum Sentences Based on Juvenile Adjudications (Give Youth a Future)
This bill promotes fair sentencing for youth who find themselves involved in the juvenile justice system. It gives youth a future. Specifically, it prevents courts from lengthening certain mandatory minimum sentences based on a person’s actions as a child (i.e. juvenile court adjudications).
An Act to End Lifetime Parole for Juveniles and Emerging Adults
While acknowledging the harm caused by past actions, this legislation recognizes the capacity for growth and offers a pathway for reintegration. By ending lifetime parole, we replace perpetual punishment with accountability, reconciliation, and the opportunity to rebuild lives, affirming that healing is the foundation of true justice.
An Act Relative to Judicial Oversight
Solitary confinement is torture. This bill ensures that prisons and jails only use solitary confinement in the rarest of circumstances. It requires a court to approve a jail or prison placing a prisoner in solitary confinement for more than 72 hours.