BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts lawmakers are considering far-reaching criminal justice legislation that supporters say will offer alternatives to incarceration for some offenders while helping others avoid returning to prison for new crimes.
The 113-page bill scheduled for debate in the Senate on Thursday calls for changes in everything from the way bail is set to guidelines for sentencing and rules around solitary confinement in state prisons.
But the measure backed by top Senate Democrats does not enjoy universal support.
Nine of the state’s eleven district attorneys sent a letter to senators this week outlining their opposition to a number of provisions in the bill, including proposed changes in minimum sentences for convicted drug traffickers.
The House is likely to consider its own package of criminal justice reforms later in the legislative session.
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