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| Report: Criminal justice system needs sweeping changes |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 04/12/2004 |
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A commission conducting a top-to-bottom review of the Massachusetts' criminal justice system made sweeping recommendations for change last Monday and criticized many of the most popular crime-fighting initiatives of the past two decades. Gun buybacks, DARE, storefront police offices, neighborhood watches, "scared straight" visits by youngsters to prisons and many other such programs do not help prevent crime, according to some of the findings in the 100-page report by the Governor's Commission on Criminal Justice Innovation. The recommendations in the report mark a significant departure from the anti-crime philosophy of the past decade, which increasingly has relied on incarceration. That strategy curtailed re-entry programs and post-release supervision for inmates - the people most likely to commit more crimes, the commission found. In total, the commission made more than 150 recommendations to fight crime. "If implemented, these recommendations will save lives, salvage broken lives, prevent victimization and save taxpayer money," said Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey, who oversaw the commission's work during the past seven months and appeared with commission members and public safety officials last Monday to release the report. The report did not come with any specific funding recommendations, and Healey acknowledged many of the suggestions would require a lot of money. She said she hoped many of the recommendations would be in place for the next budget season. The commission looked at five areas of criminal justice and made recommendations for improvement in each area: urban crime strategies; prisoner re-entry and post release supervision; forensic technology; cross-agency information sharing and education and training. Among its recommendations: seeking legislation for mandatory post-release supervision of all inmates, and additional funding for prerelease programs; building a new state crime lab; eliminating hurtles and encouraging information-sharing and increasing training and education for prosecutors, and municipal and state police officers. |
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