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MA: New Law Signed on August 6, 2010 A Good Step in the Right Direction on Ending Mandatory Minimum Drug Sentences

By Real Cost of Prisons Project (The Sentencing Project)

Families Against Mandatory Minimums On August 6, 2010, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed into law limited but promising reform of the state?s harsh mandatory minimum sentencing laws for drug offenses. Drug offenders who are serving mandatory minimum sentences at county Houses of Correction will be eligible for parole after they serve one-half of their sentences -- the same as other county prisoners who are eligible for parole -- unless one of three ?aggravating factors? apply. The Legislature passed this measure on July 31 as part of the CORI (criminal records) reform bill. This is the first time that the Legislature has moved to ease rigid drug sentencing laws since the laws were first enacted nearly 30 years ago. FAMM?s Massachusetts project director Barbara J...continue to full post

Full post as published by The Real Cost of Prisons Weblog on August 10, 2010 (boomark / email).