YOUTH JUSTICE VOTER GUIDE AND

LEGISLATIVE SCORECARD: MASSACHUSETTS 2020

BRISTOL COUNTY

WELCOME LETTER

Each year, thousands of young people in Massachusetts come in contact with the juvenile justice system. These young people are disproportionately children of color, children from the child welfare system, children coming from areas of concentrated poverty, and LGBTQ children. For the majority of these young people, interactions with the juvenile justice system are overwhelmingly negative, and lead to poor outcomes and even increased delinquency. Progress in reforming our legal system into one that is fair and works to create positive outcomes for all system-involved youth, creating stronger and safer communities for everyone, is dependent on elected officials who support or oppose these reforms.

This non-partisan voter guide is intended to ensure that you, as a voter, know your rights and are informed in our decisions. The primary focus of this voter guide is to provide the voting record of state elected officials currently in office. We also compiled information on resources from MassVOTE and the Massachusetts Chapter of the League of Women Voters regarding candidate forums in contested elections.

This voter guide is intended for educational purposes. The above not-for-profit, non-partisan organizations do not endorse any candidates or political parties for public office.

Table of Contents

WELCOME LETTER IMPORTANT VOTER INFORMATION IMPORTANT ELECTION DATES SPECIAL COVID-19 ELECTION LAWS: VOTE SAFELY BY MAIL THE KEY ISSUES QUESTIONS TO ASK CANDIDATES IN CONTESTED ELECTIONS VOTING RECORD METHODOLOGY KEY TO THE SCORECARD Bristol County State Senators Bristol County State Representatives

PARTNERS

IMPORTANT VOTER INFORMATION

Am I eligible to vote? You must be at least 18 years old, a US citizen on election day and registered to vote at least 10 days before the election. In Massachusetts, only individuals currently incarcerated on an adult felony conviction are ineligible to vote. You CAN VOTE even if you have a criminal record, are incarcerated pre-trial or for a misdemeanor conviction, are committed to the Department of Youth Services, are in foster care or are homelessness.

Am I registered to vote? You can find your voter registration status at RegisterToVoteMA.com. Once you are registered to vote, you do not need to register again unless you change your address, political party, or name.

Can I register to vote if I am younger than 18? If you are at least 16 years old, you can pre-register to vote. If you are at least 18 years old, you can register to vote. You can register or pre-register online at RegisterToVoteMA.com

Why are there two elections so close to each other? A Primary Election allows voters to choose candidates from one of three political parties (Democrat, Green Rainbow or Republican). The primary election winners from each party will face off in a General Election. The winners of the General Election will take office in January 2021.

Where can I find a sample ballot? You can find your sample ballot for the upcoming election at WhereDoIVoteMA.com

How can I vote before election day? Yes, you can vote early in-person and by mail. Check https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/eleev/evidx.htm for locations and hours of early in-person voting locations. See the next pages for mail-in vote information.

IMPORTANT ELECTION DATES

Primary Election General Election

Voter Registration Deadline Voter Registration Deadline August 22, 2020 October 24, 2020

Early Voting Dates (In-Person) Early Voting Dates (In-Person) August 22 to August 28, 2020. Check October 17 to October 30, 2020. Check https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/eleev/evidx.htm https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/eleev/evidx.htm for locations and hours. for locations and hours.

Deadline to request a vote-by-mail Deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot** ballot** August 26, 2020 October 28, 2020

Primary Election Day** General Election Day** September 1, 2020 Tuesday, November 3, 2020

** Deadline dates are when your local election department receives the application and ballots (not the date you mail the envelope). Due to delays by mail, give yourself plenty of days before the mailing deadlines to apply for voting by mail, and for mailing your ballots. **

SPECIAL COVID-19 ELECTION LAWS: VOTE SAFELY BY MAIL

Due to the pandemic, all voting in 2020 elections can be done by mail to avoid crowded polling locations. This is a new law so all voters can be safe, but you need to make sure you do it correctly to make your vote count.

STEP 1: Ask for a ballot by mail • Fill out the application that was sent in the mail (the size of a postcard). • If you don’t have that application, you can apply online at MailMyBallotMA.com. • Make sure your information is up to date, especially if you moved since the last election! • Check the box to request ballots for ALL 2020 Elections. This will ensure that you receive ballots for both the primary on September 1st and the general election on November 3rd. • If you are “unenrolled”, but would like to vote in the primary, select which primary ballot you would like to receive. This will not enroll you in the party. • Sign and date your application. If your application is not signed it will not be processed, so make sure to sign before you send! • Tear off and drop it in the mail AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! NO POSTAGE REQUIRED. • Your local election agency must receive the application no later than August 26th.

STEP 2: Your local elections official sends you a ballot by mail. • Look for a large yellow envelope with the words” State Election Ballot Enclosed” • You must vote with the mail-in ballot.

STEP 3: You fill out the ballot and return it to your election official by mail or drop-off early in-person

• Vote on the ballot • Place your ballot in the yellow envelope and seal that envelope. • Sign the yellow envelope and print your name and address below your signature. • Place the signed envelope inside the white envelope and seal that envelope. • You can return the ballot by mail or in-person. No postage required.

How do I know if my ballot made it? What if I can’t mail my ballot? • You can track your mailed ballot at TrackMyBallotMA.com • If for any reason you were unable to mail your ballot or changed your mind, or your ballot did not make it to your local election department by election day, you can still vote in-person at your regular polling place.

Need more information? Check out SafeElectionsMA.org

THE KEY ISSUES

Shrinking the School-to-Prison Pipeline The “school-to-prison pipeline” refers to school discipline and policing practices and policies that drive students out of the classroom, away from a pathway to success, and towards or into the juvenile or criminal justice system. Frequent suspensions and expulsions remove students from their classrooms and disconnect them from their school community, increasing their risk of legal system involvement and dropping out of school. The over-criminalization of students involves increased policing, surveillance and arrest in school for behaviors better resolved through therapeutic or restorative approaches.

Racial Inequities in the Juvenile Justice System Massachusetts has one of the worst racial disparities for youth incarceration in the country despite more than a decade of reforms. While youth of color make up only 26% of the youth population in Massachusetts, they represent 73% of those arrested and 72%-74% of those who are detained or committed to the Department of Youth Services (DYS). Nationally, “LGBTQ youth are twice as likely to enter the juvenile system as their non-LGBTQ peers. LGBTQ youth of color face even starker disparities and comprise a staggering estimated 85% of LGBTQ youth in the justice system. Transgender individuals are nearly twice as likely to have been incarcerated as other LGBQ people, with transgender people of color reporting a rate of past incarceration four times higher than other LGBQ people.”** These disparities cannot be adequately explained by differences in youth behavior; instead, inequities stem from different policing and court processing practices in communities of color. Massachusetts currently fails to report crucial data at most of the significant decision points in the juvenile justice system by race, ethnicity, gender identity and sexual orientation. As a result, we know that Black, Latinx and LGBTQ youth are incarcerated at higher rates, but we lack any transparency into data on the decision points from arrest to incarceration. By using data – rather than hiding it –system leaders could see disparities where they occur and identify and evaluate policies or practices that drive youth deeper into the system.

Raise the Age of Juvenile Jurisdiction Past Age 18

Massachusetts tax payers spend the most on young people in the adult legal system, with the worst outcomes of any age group. Adolescents are highly amenable to rehabilitation as they grow and mature. However, older teens in Massachusetts are prosecuted as adults – and subject to the adult system’s focus on punishment and more severe collateral consequences. As a result, older teens have the highest recidivism rate of any age group, and double the rate for similarly situated younger teens in the juvenile system. The proposal to raise the age of juvenile jurisdiction past the 18th birthday would shift older teens into the juvenile justice system, where they must attend school and participate in rehabilitative programming that will improve youth outcomes and lower recidivism.

Expanding Expungement Eligibility There is overwhelming evidence of racial disparities against Black individuals at every stage of the legal system – from policing and profiling, court proceedings to sentencing, and every stage in between. A record can present unjust, lifelong barriers for housing, employment, and education and it’s our goal to make sure that as many people as possible have an opportunity for a clean slate. In 2018, Massachusetts passed legislation that created an opportunity to expunge juvenile and adult criminal records for people whose offense was charged prior to their 21st birthday. While this is a tremendous step forward, the law created a significant limit: there can only be one charge on the record. Anyone who has more than one charge or court case is ineligible for expungement. Expanding expungement eligibility allows (1) all non-convictions to be eligible for expungement; (2) changes the limitation on the number of cases on a record, to length of time since last conviction; and (3) limits the list of offenses ineligible for expungement to only those resulting a felony conviction.

** LGBTQ data quoted from: MA Commission on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning Youth FY2021 Report and Recommendations

Learn more about the issues at cfjj.org/the-issues

QUESTIONS TO ASK CANDIDATES IN CONTESTED ELECTIONS

This legislative scorecard is only able to document the votes of incumbent legislators. Information on contested seats is included in this guide, however, it does not include positions of non-incumbent candidates. If you are in a district with a contested election, you can ask all candidates their positions on these key issues.

Shrinking the School-to-Prison Pipeline The presence of police in schools has led to an increasing criminalization of young people, particularly young people of color, often for relatively minor transgressions that were rarely viewed as warranting law enforcement intervention in the past. There is little convincing evidence that the presence of police officers in schools has much effect on school safety at all, however, there is considerable evidence that the presence of police in schools increases school-based arrests for low-level, non-violent behaviors that have traditionally been the domain of school disciplinarians. Do you commit to repealing the Massachusetts law that requires police in every school district? Do you commit to supporting legislation that would require student, parent and teacher input on school policing decisions?

Racial Inequities in the Juvenile Justice System Massachusetts in one of the top five states with the most extreme racial disparities in the juvenile justice system, yet Massachusetts legislators have yet to pass legislation requiring transparency at major decision points (for example, arrest, diversion, detention, adjudication, and sentencing) by race, ethnicity, gender identity and sexual orientation. Do you commit to supporting legislation that would require data collection and data transparency to understand and address these disparities?

Raise the Age of Juvenile Jurisdiction Past Age 18 Massachusetts taxpayers spend the most on young people in the adult legal system, who end up having the worst outcomes of any age group. The automatic prosecution of older teens as adults – with its focus on punishment and more severe collateral consequences – has resulted in that age group having the highest recidivism rate of any age group, and double the rate of similarly situated younger teens in the juvenile system. Do you commit to supporting legislation that would raise the age of juvenile jurisdiction to include 18-, 19-, and 20-year-olds in order to ensure more young people mature as responsible and productive adults in our communities?

Expanding Expungement Eligibility The newly created juvenile expungement statute has very strict eligibility criteria further exacerbating racial disparities by limiting who would be eligible to get their records expunged. Young people with a record who have not reoffended within three to four years are at no greater risk of offending than the general population. Yet these records can bar young people from housing, employment, college, and the military. Do you commit to supporting legislation that would expand expungement eligibility, particularly for young people who have more than one case on their record?

VOTING RECORD METHODOLOGY

The legislator score card tracks the sponsorship and voting record of incumbent legislators on key youth justice issues from the 2017-2018 and 2019-2020 legislative sessions. Legislators can formally endorse policies as (1) a lead champion who files the legislation or an amendment to a bill; (2) a co-sponsor of legislation or an amendment to a bill; or (3) a formal vote if the bill or amendment has a recorded vote.

KEY TO THE SCORECARD

Lead Supportive Vote Oppose (blank) No recorded position Champion or Co-Sponsor

Shrinking the School-to-Prison Pipeline 2017-2018 Session: House Bill 328; Senate Bill 876; Amendment #58 (no vote) to Senate Bill 2185 2019-2020 Session: House Bill 531; Senate Bill 297; Amendments #1 and #88 to House Bill 4860; opposition marked by sponsorship of Amendments #111, #144, #168, and #206 to House Bill 4860

Racial Inequities in the Juvenile Justice System 2017-2018 Session: House Bill 2489; Senate Bill 1290; Amendment #1019 to FY2019 House Budget; Amendment #997 to FY2019 Senate Budget 2019-2020 Session: House Bill 2141; Senate Bill 1386

Raise the Age of Juvenile Jurisdiction past 18 2017-2018 Session: House Bill 3037; House Bill 3078; Senate Bill 816; Amendments #141 and #148 to House Bill 4011; Amendment #26 (no vote) to Senate Bill 2185 2019-2020 Session: House Bill 3420; Senate Bill 825; Amendment #103 to House Bill 4860

Expanding Expungement Eligibility 2017-2018 Session: House Bill 2309; Senate Bill 944; Amendments #160 and #192 to House Bill 4011 2019-2020 Session: House Bill 1386; Senate Bill 900; Amendment #166 to House Bill 4860

Learn more about these bills at cfjj.org/advocacy

Bristol County State Senators

School to Prison Racial Inequities Expanding Other Candidates Raise the Age Pipeline in the JJ System Expungement for this Seat Michael Brady (D) Primary Election: 2nd Plymouth and Moises Rodrigues Bristol (D) Cities/Towns Represented Brockton, East Bridgewater, Halifax, Hanover, Hanson, Plympton, Whitman, Easton

Paul Feeney (D) Bristol and Uncontested Norfolk

Cities/Towns Represented Attleboro, Mansfield, Norton, Rehoboth, Seekonk, Foxborough, Medfield, Sharon, Walpole

Mark Montigny (D) uncontested nd 2 Bristol and Plymouth Cities/Towns Represented New Bedford, Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Mattapoisett

Marc Pacheco (D) 1st Plymouth and Uncontested Bristol

Cities/Towns Represented Bridgewater, Carver, Marion, Middleborough, Wareham, Berkley, Dighton, Raynham, Taunton

School to Prison Racial Inequities Expanding Other Candidates Raise the Age Pipeline in the JJ System Expungement for this Seat Rebecca Rausch (D) General Election: Norfolk, Bristol Matthew Kelly (R) and Middlesex Cities/Towns Represented Franklin, Millis, Needham, Norfolk, Plainville, Wellesley, Wrentham, Attleboro, North Attleborough, Natick, Sherborn, Wayland

Michael Rodrigues (D) st uncontested 1 Bristol and Plymouth Cities/Towns Represented Fall River, Freetown, Somerset, Swansea, Westport, Lakeville, Rochester

Walter Timilty (D) Primary Election: Norfolk, Bristol Jared Rose (D) and Plymouth / Avon, Braintree, Canton, Milton, Randolph, Sharon, Stoughton, Easton, East Bridgewater, West Cities/Towns Represented Bridgewater

Bristol County State Representatives

School to Prison Racial Inequities Expanding Other Candidates Raise the Age Pipeline in the JJ System Expungement for this Seat General Election: Jay Barrows (R) Brendan Roche 1st Bristol (D) Cities/Towns Represented Mansfield, Norton, Foxborough

Antonio Cabral (D) th uncontested 13 Bristol Cities/Towns Represented New Bedford

Carol Doherty (D) General Election: rd 3 Bristol Kelly Dooner (R)

Cities/Towns Represented Easton, Taunton

Carole Fiola (D) uncontested 6th Bristol

Cities/Towns Represented Fall River, Freetown

Patricia Haddad (D) uncontested 5th Bristol

Cities/Towns Represented Dighton, Somerset, Swansea, Taunton

School to Prison Racial Inequities Expanding Other Candidates Raise the Age Pipeline in the JJ System Expungement for this Seat

Jim Hawkins (D) nd uncontested 2 Bristol Cities/Towns Represented Attleboro

Christopher Hendricks (D) uncontested 11th Bristol Cities/Towns Represented Acushnet, New Bedford

Steven Howitt (R) th uncontested 4 Bristol

Cities/Towns Represented Norton, Rehoboth, Seekonk, Swansea

Christopher Markey (D) uncontested th 9 Bristol Cities/Towns Represented Dartmouth, New Bedford

Norman Orrall (R) th uncontested 12 Bristol Cities/Towns Represented Berkley, Taunton, Lakeville, Middleborough

School to Prison Racial Inequities Expanding Other Candidates Raise the Age Pipeline in the JJ System Expungement for this Seat Primary Election: Patrick Reynolds (R) (D) 14th Bristol (D)

(not running for re- election) General Election: Michael Lennox (R) Cities/Towns Represented Attleboro, Mansfield, North Attleborough

General Election: (D) th Evan Gendreau 8 Bristol (R) Cities/Towns Represented Fall River, Freetown, New Bedford, Westport

Alan Silvia (D) uncontested 7th Bristol

Cities/Towns Represented Fall River

William Straus (D) uncontested 10th Bristol

Cities/Towns Represented Fairhaven, New Bedford, Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester

Want to read more about the candidates for all Massachusetts races at https://onyourballot.vote411.org/race-index.do?c=21249209

PARTNERS

Citizens for Juvenile Justice (CfJJ) is the only independent, non-profit, statewide organization working exclusively to improve juvenile justice, and other youth serving systems, in Massachusetts. Visit us at: www.cfjj.org

Through strategic litigation, public policy advocacy, and education, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) works in New England and nationally to create a just society free of discrimination based on gender identity and expression, HIV status, and sexual orientation. Visit us at: www.glad.org

The Massachusetts Voter Table advances civic access, engagement, and representation to increase resources and power for people of color and working- class people toward achieving a multiracial democracy. MVT convenes a statewide coalition of community organizations to integrate voter engagement with grassroots organizing in service of a shared agenda for economic and racial justice.

Strategies for Youth was founded in 2010 to improve relations between police and youth, with a focus on youth of color, and to prevent unnecessary arrests of young people. We advance a trauma-informed, developmentally-appropriate orientation to policing, using a service model that includes: (1) training for law enforcement in adolescent psychology and the effects of trauma on youth behavior; (2) education for young people about the law and how to avoid legal risk during interactions with police; and (3) original research aimed at advancing systemic change to the ways in which police are recruited, trained, and held accountable.