Forum Post: Report slams state for lack of corrections reform Crime down, prison costs up as study urges shorter sentences, focus on parole

The 40-page report — endorsed by a coalition of prominent former prosecutors, defense attorneys, and justice officials — slams the state for focusing too much on prolonged incarceration, through measures such as mandatory minimum sentences, and for paying too little attention to successfully integrating prisoners back into society.

“The JRI initiative has been critical in helping other states move to a new way of thinking about the administration of justice,” said Terrel Harris, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety. “We are optimistic about the positive outcomes it could bring to Massachusetts.”

The key to accomplishing sentencing overhaul will be cooperation between prosecutors and defense attorneys, who frequently lobby opposite sides of corrections issues.

“If we can get the prosecutors and the defense attorneys on the same page, we’ve won half the battle,” Budd said.

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