Data Entry Party!!
Monday, November 5, 2018
5:45PM-9:00PM
Ray and Maria Stata Center, MIT Campus
Room 32-141
32 Vassar St, Cambridge, MA 02139
Please bring a laptop and be prepared to stay for the entire event.
Monday, November 5, 2018
5:45PM-9:00PM
Ray and Maria Stata Center, MIT Campus
Room 32-141
32 Vassar St, Cambridge, MA 02139
Please bring a laptop and be prepared to stay for the entire event.
Be part of making history with the Court Watch program on November 5!
Over a six-month period in 2018, volunteers were in court every day collecting valuable information about how people are treated by judges and prosecutors – data that would not otherwise be publicly available. The Mass Bail Fund needs help managing hundreds of forms completed by courtwatchers.
This event is an opportunity for students and community members to be part of a massive grassroots effort for dignity, equity, and transparency in our courts.
The Massachusetts government shares no data about bail decisions. We don’t know what bail amounts prosecutors ask for, what reasons judges give for their decisions, or whether a defendant’s ability to pay bail is being considered before someone is detained on unaffordable bail as required by state law and the SJC. CourtWatchMA volunteers watched first appearances and recorded that data as well as information on demographics and charging. Because electronic devices are not allowed in court, volunteers had to record their observations on paper forms that now need to be entered digitally.
By giving your time to do data entry, you'll equip us to create a historic public report about what's really happening in our courts. And the timeline is urgent - the release of the report will coincide with the inauguration of District Attorneys in January. We will use the information you help us enter to hold prosecutors accountable for making measurable reductions in pre-trial detention, supervision, and racial disparities.
By giving your time to do data entry, you'll equip us to create a historic public report about what's really happening in our courts. And the timeline is urgent - the release of the report will coincide with the inauguration of District Attorneys in January. We will use the information you help us enter to hold prosecutors accountable for making measurable reductions in pre-trial detention, supervision, and racial disparities.