Last night, the Massachusetts Senate successfully passed the first major criminal justice reform bill in years.
The senate's vote showed courage, compassion, and moral leadership by advancing a number of important reforms, most notably, the repeal of mandatory minimum sentences for certain drug offenses that have for years unfairly punished communities of color and driven over-incarceration. We're also happy that the senate chose to defend personal privacy and the rights of the vulnerable by defeating an amendment that would have significantly expanded law enforcement’s ability to use an invasive form of surveillance known as wiretapping.
This was no easy feat. ACLU supporters from across the state responded to the call for action, contacting their senators in droves to oppose the dangerous wiretap amendments and support strong justice reforms. Their advocacy and action was critical.
We now look forward to working with the Massachusetts House of Representatives to continue this important progress.
