1. One a key provision of the Massachusetts Criminal Justice Reform Act is raising the minimum age a child can be held criminally responsible; which used to be 7 and is now 12 and tried in Juvenile Court.

 

  1. Bail Reform is where attorneys, judges and people within the court system would see that many indigent or poor people that were charged with a crime were sometimes unable to get out of jail prior to trial, not due to the merits of the case, but just their inability to pay which for more middle class or affluent defendants would be easy for them to make that. Now the Judges are supposed to look at the defendant’s ability to pay bail when taking in account by a Judge. Which is a significant part; because many times, not only people held on bail, they will end up pleading out to cases that they shouldn’t because they will be able to get probation rather than being held in custody. It has a significant impact in the criminal justice system in Massachusetts.

 

  1. There is a new law that encourages the use of Diversion Programs. Especially for veterans and additionally from people suffering from mental illness and that would also have people with substance abuse disorders. The idea of this is trying to have alternatives to having somebody in the House of Correction and what the Judge would have some discretion to allow certain people that are alleged offenders to do community service or another program before he/she is charged. It can keep people from having a criminal record.

 

  1. Expungement. Where making it easier for people who committed a relatively minor crime before the age of 21 to expunge or seal for good their record. Prior to this provision, even juvenile records can follow that individual and it can have an impact both educationally and work wise. There also allows the expungement of criminal records; which is no longer a crime. So, for example, many marijuana crimes, such as possession would be able to be wiped out.