State’s top judge pushes for criminal justice changes

[rug]

Ralph D. Gants, chief justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, said, “We need your hustle, and we need your muscle.” (JOHN BLANDING/GLOBE STAFF)

By Travis Andersen GLOBE STAFF MAY 25, 2016

The state’s top judge on Tuesday urged an interfaith group to push for criminal justice reform when Massachusetts legislators take up the issue in the fall.

Chief Justice Ralph D. Gants of the state Supreme Judicial Court made the appeal during remarks at the Old South Church in Boston. He told about 900 members of the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization that several proposals will be under consideration, including eliminating mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenders.

Gants, a longtime supporter of the measure, urged the interfaith group to lobby hard for its passage.

“We need your hustle, and we need your muscle,” Gants told the group, which is a coalition of Boston-area churches, mosques, temples, and community organizations that advocate for social justice.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/05/24/state-chief-justice-urges-interfaith-group-support-criminal-justice-changes/Se9NCZ0UNAMjQYBTlLJJyM/story.html