|
|
| Mass. Gov.'s Veto Shutters Panel On Sentences |
| By Boston Globe |
| Published: 08/14/2002 |
|
The state Sentencing Commission blew the fiscal whistle on Acting Governor Jane Swift's proposal for state sentencing guidelines last year, warning in a report that it would swell state prison rolls by 20 percent and cost an estimated $900 million for new cells. Later this month, the commission's staffers will unplug their computers and pack years of research into storage boxes, their entire $232,000 budget a victim to Swift's budget veto pen. As of midnight on July 31, when the House failed by 10 votes to override Swift's veto, the panel was effectively out of business after eight years of pushing for comprehensive guidelines to replace the broad discretion state judges currently have in sentencing criminals. The agency's demise - seen by some as political payback, by others as a reflection of the state's dire fiscal condition - has some political leaders warning that meaningful sentencing guidelines may now be dead as well. House Speaker Thomas M. Finneran said last week that, without the research done by the commission, supporters of sentencing guidelines, including himself, will have a difficult time evaluating various proposals, which could cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars in prison construction and upkeep. The commission is generally accepted as the state's foremost authority on the effect that changes in criminal laws would have on prison and jail populations. ''I think it is quite possible that sentencing guidelines begin to falter,'' said Finneran, who supported a guidelines bill that passed the House this year but was killed by senators who relied on another report by the commission that deemed the bill too expensive. ''I think critics will be able to say to supporters, 'You have no credible data to back up your position,''' Finneran said. |
advertise
|
privacy policy
|
add URL
|
about us
|
terms/disclaimer
|
contact us
|
join our team
|
help
I like learning more about prison reforms from this great website that has housed excellent articles on the topic. If I want to learn more about these important topics I know to contact Hamilton Lindley about more of this information because I know that I’ll get a fair answer.