Disability Justice for Our Courts, Our Parole Board, and Commutations and Pardons

In our country, 15% of all Americans have a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act. But in our prisons, it’s 40%. This troubling overrepresentation is the result of historic neglect by our legal system that goes back for centuries. We have a system that does not fully recognize disability and therefore disproportionately punishes people with disabilities and puts them behind bars.

In Massachusetts, we are not the leaders we need to be. According to 2022 data from the Massachusetts Department of Corrections, 41% of men and 79% of women in state correctional facilities had a mental health issue. One of the reasons I am running for Governor’s Councillor is to change that.

Governor’s Councillors are the most consequential, least-known elected officials in Massachusetts. The Governor’s Council has the final say on who serves in our courts, who serves on our Parole Board, and who receives commutations and pardons. The Governor’s Council has the power to change this.

As your Governor’s Councillor, I will only vote for judicial and Parole Board nominees who understand and respect disability issues. I will be a forceful advocate for judges aware of disability justice issues, and I will particularly emphasize the importance of lived experience who are informed on disability justice. As your Governor’s Councillor, I will support the appointment of judges who have a strong understanding and track record of awareness and understanding in disability justice.

During interviews with nominees and confirmation hearings, I will ask all nominees—and encourage my colleagues to ask—about their views and past rulings on disability justice to ensure they will uphold and protect these rights. 

Commutations and pardons provide a powerful tool to right the past wrongs of our judicial system. I will make sure that there is greater awareness in considering disability for commutations and pardons, work with the legislature to demand a more fair system, and do everything I can to support people with disabilities.

I am running to be the first full-time public defender to serve on the Governor’s Council. I have seen firsthand how a lack of knowledge and understanding of disabilities can lead to unjust outcomes. It’s time for change. As your Governor’s Councillor, I will make sure that change will come.