May 23, 2013 — vol. 48, no 42
Roving Camera
Do you believe the state Legislature is moving in the
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No, they’re not going in the right direction. Until someone who wants to work is guaranteed a decent job at a decent wage, forget all the other solutions. |
Steve Meacham Organizer Cambridge |
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No. However, it’s politically beneficial for the politicians at a significant monetary cost to the public. It has proven to be ineffective in pioneering states that applied this type of sentence structure as in California. |
Abu Hanif Abdal-Khallaq Former Prison Administrator and Criminal Justice Professor Boston |
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It sounds like it’s going in the wrong direction. If they’re concerned about increasing safety they should be heading toward the restorative and social justice direction instead of punitive criminalization. |
Maria Blanco Community Organizer and Health Worker Jamaica Plain |
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No, I do not agree with the direction because their policies adversely affect specific communities and populations while only marginally affecting others. Policies like the three-strikes bill should be required to reflect the input of the CBO’s and faith-based organizations that work with the reentry population and the communities that they transition into. |
Alan Spencer |
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The issue with the criminal justice system is that it’s not successful in deterring people from re-offending. It only benefits the ambitious politician and greedy businessperson who has no stake in the communities which this law would adversely affect. |
Denise Matthews-Turner Salsa Dance Instructor Boston |
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I’m not in favor of the three-strikes or habitual offender bills for several reasons, but primarily, who’s going to be primarily affected? Young black and Latino men. At this point with the crime rate actually going down we need to be providing alternatives for helping young people to stay on a productive path. |
Curdina Hill Executive Director, City Life/Vida Urbana Jamaica Plain |
