We Want Real Change!

WE WANT REAL CHANGE IN MASSACHUSETTS JUSTICE

Massachusetts_State_House,_Boston,_Massachusetts_-_oblique_frontal_viewImage courtesy of Wikimedia

 

To be delivered to The Massachusetts State House, The Massachusetts State Senate, and Governor Charlie Baker

Join 70 Massachusetts organizations issuing an urgent call for immediate and substantial changes in policies, practices and procedures in the state’s justice system. 500 SIGNATURES BY VALENTINE’S DAY!

PETITION BACKGROUND

We know that you all have been flooded with incredibly important actions at this time. But justice in Massachusetts cannot become a footnote. Even though 70 orgs. signed the urgent call for action on January 17th, WE MUST KEEP THE HEAT ON.

Led by the Coalition for Effective Public Safety, we now ask individuals –as well as organizations who did not sign on to the 10 pg. letter– to do so!

We are also asking you to tell your legislators to call on Governor Charlie Baker, Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Ralph Gants, House Speaker Robert DeLeo, and Senate President Stanley Rosenberg to address the clear and profound disparate treatment of people of color in our justice system and to address necessary justice issues spelled out in the letter.

We demand that state leaders make good on promises to improve fairness and outcomes for those in the system, reduce prison and jail populations, decrease recidivism, and cut prison costs. We also urge the Governor and legislators to take responsibility now in executive actions and legislation to address long-standing failings of the Department of Correction and the Parole Board.

The full letter is here, and check out ACLU and Citizen for Juvenile Justice’s calls for action on their sites.

PLEASE SIGN ON and SHARE THIS PETITON on Facebook and Twitter, and please email your organizations. Even if your organization signed, we encourage all individuals to sign on too. WE NEED TO LET MASSACHUSETTS LEADERS KNOW WE WON’T SETTLE FOR INJUSTICE.