In 2013, the legislature created a commission to study “the most reliable protocols for assessing and managing the risk of recidivism of sex offenders.” Our goal is to make recommendations that will better protect the public from dangerous people, while being fair to offenders who pose little risk. The subject is difficult and emotional and we are trying to proceed in a step-by-step way to gather a full understanding of the subject before we reach any conclusions about public policy.
Criminal Law
Senator Brownsberger Chairing Special Commission to Reduce the Recidivism of Sex Offenders
Senator Brownsberger is chairing a legislatively-created Special Commission to Reduce the Recidivism of Sex Offenders. Here is information about the Commission, its legislative charge, and meeting agendas and minutes.
Compromise Language Reported on Juvenile Murder Sentences
The Governor has approved the House-Senate agreement on a new sentencing structure for juveniles convicted of first degree murder.
Sentencing Juveniles for Murder
The Senate has acted on Senate 2246, which is intended to respond to the Supreme Judicial Court’s decision in the Diatchenko case.
Reading the Juvenile Life without Parole Cases
Before the legislature is the question of how to respond to the case of Commonwealth v. Diatchenko. In that case, our Supreme Judicial Court found that it is unconstitutional to sentence a juvenile to life without parole for first degree murder. The basic question the legislature needs to answer is what should be the first …
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Juvenile Justice Reform
Kids are kids — emerging research confirms that capacity for self-control doesn’t fully develop until well after the age of 18. That insight, taken to heart, has far-reaching implications for the way we respond to youthful misbehavior. The MacArthur Foundation has funded much of the recent research. The Foundation was troubled by the trend in …