REP. MIRANDA & REP. VARGAS TESTIFY IN SUPPORT OF PAROLE REFORM

On Tuesday, October 22, 2019 MBLLC members Rep. Andy X. Vargas and Rep. Liz Miranda testified in support of their legislation H3457: An Act relative to parole. This MBLLC priority would change the Parole Board by:

• Increasing membership from seven to nine
• Requiring that at least three members have experience in the fields of psychiatry, psychology, social work, or the treatment of substance use disorder
• Requiring that one member be a licensed mental health professional

As of January 2019, according to Department of Corrections data, their population consisted of 8,784 individuals in total. Black and Latinx individuals made up 4,706 or 54% of that number. With so many our brothers, sisters, friends, and other family members incarcerated, it is critically important that we advocate for them and provide ways to help them successfully fully rejoin our communities. You can learn more about their bill here.