Carol Rose, executive director of the ACLU of Massachusetts, today released the following statement in response to the Massachusetts general elections for district attorney:
“For the last year, the ‘What a Difference a DA Makes’ campaign has helped drive a meaningful conversation about the enormous power district attorneys wield and how best to hold them accountable to the communities they serve. But the work doesn’t stop on Election Day: In order to truly transform our criminal legal system by reducing over-incarceration and eliminating racial disparities, we must hold elected prosecutors accountable. Voters will be watching – and the ACLU will be working – to make sure district attorneys follow through on promises made for a smarter and fairer criminal justice system.”
Rahsaan Hall, the director of the ACLU of Massachusetts’ Racial Justice Program and “What a Difference a DA Makes” campaign manager, released the following statement:
“For decades, district attorneys have been running largely unopposed in Massachusetts and across the nation. This fall, Massachusetts voters in five counties had real choices in DA races. As a result of our ‘What a Difference a DA Makes’ campaign, civil liberties and racial justice were central in races that are often ignored and uncompetitive. Today, voters delivered an unequivocal verdict: Massachusetts wants prosecutors who are committed to justice that is restorative, transformative, and healing.”
