Statement of Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins on today’s hearing before the Supreme Judicial Court
BOSTON, March 31, 2020 — “In this time of deep uncertainty and growing fear, we need bold, decisive leadership. I appreciate the tremendous amount of work by the SJC and the Special Master to help to create a framework for our Commonwealth to reduce its prison, jail and detention facility population in the interest of public health by facilitating the coordinated and expedited release of certain detainees who are at high risk of contracting COVID-19. To do this, all while balancing the important rights and needs of victims and survivors and the safety of our communities, is a significant task. We must consider decarceration because the nature of these incarceration facilities, despite best efforts, makes it virtually impossible to practice effectively the recommended defenses against COVID-19: social distancing and rigorous personal hygiene. This is important not only for detainees and their loved ones, but for correction officers, medical professionals, social workers, other staff and their family members, neighbors, and communities that could be at a heightened risk.
“People do not stop being human the day they are sentenced. Although some have made terrible choices or engaged in reprehensible behavior, the sentence they received for their crime did not include contracting COVID-19 and death. And for those pre-trial detainees, the situation is even more dire. Those individuals have yet to be found guilty of their alleged crime.
“A coordinated response by the SJC will allow us to decarcerate in a thoughtful and careful way uniformly across the Commonwealth all while taking into account the public health risk, a detainee’s record and offense, and the vital rights of our survivors and victims.
“Suffolk County has led the way in this pandemic, reaching out to our colleagues in the criminal defense bar to discuss flattening the curve of COVID-19 as early as Friday, March 13, 2020. We have worked tirelessly with our partners in the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department and at CJIS to gather relevant information and facilitate the expedited process of determining who is suitable for consideration of release. Many of the suggestions in our Response to the Petition were incorporated in the Special Master’s Report and Recommendation.
“I eagerly await the SJC’s decision and am proud to stand on the right side of history in this moment.”
Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins’ office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Mass. The office handles over 25,000 cases a year. More than 160 attorneys in the office practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court, and the Boston Juvenile Courts. The office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs to serve anyone who comes in contact with the criminal justice system. This office is committed to educating the public about the services we provide, our commitment to crime prevention, and our dedication to keeping the residents of Suffolk County safe.