Support Bill H. 1382 and create sentencing alternatives for primary caretakers
We, the undersigned members of the Brandeis community, urge you to support the legislation that would establish community-based sentencing alternatives for primary caretakers convicted of non-violent crimes.
If this bill is enacted, it will alleviate the harm done to the children of incarcerated parents caused by separation due to said incarceration, while reducing recidivism and strengthening family unity and community.
In a report issued by Erika Kates, Ph.D, of the Wellesley Centers for Women, an estimated two-thirds to three-quarters of incarcerated women in Massachusetts are mothers, over half of whom have likely lived with their children prior to arrest. Kates' report,Exploring Alternatives to Incarceration (ATI) For Women in Massachusetts, July 2011states that in 2006 there were 15,000 children with incarcerated mothers, and these numbers continue to climb. Half of the women who are currently incarcerated at MCI-Framingham do not receive visits from their children due to financial constraints, or other challenges that their temporary caretakers face. This temporary loss of contact can result in a mother's permanent loss of custody of her children.
The Women's Prison Association reports that children of incarcerated parents are five times more likely than their peers to end up in prison themselves. One in ten will be incarcerated before the age of 18. A recent Massachusetts Institute for a New Commonwealth (MassINC) study shows that increasing prison sentences, as has been typical in recent years, actually costs more and increases rates of recidivism. If this bill were to be enacted, taxpayers would not have to put their money towards the ever-increasing costs of jails and prisons, and recidivism rates would decrease among non-violent offenders.
Currently in Massachusetts, there is no legislation or policy in place that allows a judge to determine whether or not the person being convicted of a crime is a primary caretaker of a dependent child. This bill would require a sentencing judge toascertain whether a person is a custodial, primary caretaker of a dependent child, and therefore eligible for consideration under this bill.
The sentencing alternatives this bill proposes will take into consideration a myriad of services based on individual assessments and needs, including individual and group substance abuse counseling and other counseling services, relapse prevention workshops, vocational and educational workshops, medical, housing, and financial assistance, domestic violence intervention, parenting skills development, entrepreneurial and empowerment seminars, and recreation and leisure activities.
To reiterate, this bill will strengthen families and communities, lower rates of recidivism, and provide a lower-cost, higher return alternative to unjust sentencing terms for mothers and other primary caretakers.
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