Legal Scholar Hopes Massachusetts Legislature Takes Firm Action On Criminal Justice Reform

With Massachusetts lawmakers considering sweeping criminal justice reforms, one legal scholar hopes the state will take decisive action.

Harvard law professor Ron Sullivan says there are key areas that lawmakers need to address, specifically, bail reform so people aren't jailed for financial reasons, and mandatory minimum sentences.

Many of the proposed reforms before lawmakers are based on recommendations from a report that state public safety officials tout. That's because it shows Massachusetts has the second lowest incarceration rate in the nation.

But Sullivan says that's not exactly a reason to celebrate. He joined Morning Edition to talk about it.

Correction: In this broadcast, it was said that there is no conviction integrity unit in Massachusetts. The Suffolk district attorney's office says there is such a unit. We regret the error.