Vying to succeed Governor Deval Patrick on Beacon Hill, homeland security expert Juliette Kayyem reiterated her plans to overhaul the criminal justice system in Massachusetts – a reformation that nearly every candidate has expressed a desire to undertake – which she announced back in December. According to Kayyem’s plan, should her gubernatorial campaign prove successful, she hopes to put more of a stress on education and re-entry initiatives as opposed to punishments.
In similar fashion, Governor Patrick laid out a five-year plan in which he hopes to reduce the recidivism rate in Massachusetts by 50 percent by stressing treatment more so than discipline.
“I wholeheartedly applaud Governor Patrick’s call for a 50% reduction in recidivism over the next five years. This action is imperative to criminal justice reform, and is too critical to wait for an election,” noted Kayyem in a statement. “Throughout this campaign I have been pushing for serious solutions to our flawed criminal justice system, which is why it is so important that the Governor took this bold step for an issue that desperately needs to be addressed.”
According to specifics clearly defined on Kayyem’s campaign website, some of the criminal justice reformation items she plans to implement are assessing the extent to which existing programs are working, eliminating ineffective approaches, and expanding efforts that show results.
Further, Kayyem plans to increase funding towards substance abuse treatment, re-entry education and job training.
“As a former civil rights attorney and homeland security leader, I know that the choice is clear for the future of our state,” continued Kayyem. “We must increase investments in educational opportunities in prison and reintegration programs for those who have served their time. It is both the morally and the fiscally responsible option. It will make us safer.”
But the Massachusetts public generally agrees with her general sentiments.
A recent telephone poll conducted by MassInc Polling Group of 1,207 Massachusetts residents shows that 43 percent of those surveyed think prevention is the top priority as far dealing with criminal justice, followed by 21 percent who contend rehabilitation is the number one focus. Another 19 percent opined that enforcement was the best course of action, and just 15 percent considered it punishment.
Kayyem’s press office went on to cite a study released by the RAND Corporation which notes that “for every dollar spent on inmate education, five were saved on recidivism. Between 2008 and 2014, re-entry program funding has decreased by 81 percent, while recidivism continues at a high rate.”
“We think there is a more pragmatic, more effective and most efficient way to think about criminal justice, one that deals with the realities of today, learns from the experience of the past, and actually makes the public safer,” said Governor Patrick in a statement. “Today we are taking additional steps, working together, to make our communities safe, to work repeat offenders and reduce recidivism.”
An article published by the Cape Cod Times alludes to a possible flaw in Kayyem’s homeland security background. Apparently, given her high-powered position in the department, there are concerns swirling as to the “interrogation techniques used in the war on terror and the potential threat to civil liberties posed by drones.” BostInno reached out to Kayyem’s press secretary for more clarity about these supposed interrogation techniques and how they may have possibly been misconstrued, but have yet to hear back.
