Court Watch MA is a community project with the goal of shifting the power dynamics in our courtrooms by exposing the decisions judges and prosecutors make about neighbors every day.
CourtWatch MA launched in connection with the What a Difference a DA Makes Campaign of the Massachusetts ACLU.
From May 2018 – September 2018, our volunteers were watching in at least one court every day across five counties.
162 Court Watchers completed 219 shifts in less than 180 days!
From May 2018 – September 2018, our volunteers were watching in at least one court every day across five counties.
162 Court Watchers completed 219 shifts in less than 180 days!
Volunteers collected valuable information about how people were being treated in court – data that would not otherwise be publicly available. And we didn't stop there!
First 100 Days Project in Suffolk County
On January 2, 2019, District Attorneys across Massachusetts began a new term in office. We launched a First 100 Days Court Watch Project in Suffolk County to hold the District Attorney's Office accountable for reducing pre-trial detention and addressing racial disparities. Beginning on inauguration day, trained volunteers were in three (and ultimately four) BMC courts every day monitoring how these campaign promises were being carried out and how the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office was complying with recently passed criminal justice reform.
Recognizing that the transition will take time and transformation doesn’t happen overnight, we sought transparency in documenting the pace of change and engaging community in the transformation process. Our presence in court allowed us to celebrate reform successes, support our neighbors, and maintain a public record on progress. We posted specific case examples on twitter (@CourtWatchMA) and released a weekly digest here on our website with stories and findings from arraignment court.
The First 100 Days Court Watch Project focused on prosecutors’ bail recommendations and charging decisions. Every single hour a person spends in detention is harmful and every time cash bail is imposed it can have disastrous consequences without any positive impact on our community. Our hope was that line prosecutors would not only decline to ask for bail but proactively recommend release on personal recognizance, reducing the pressure to plead guilty and eliminating punitive pre-trial detention.
The First One Hundred Days Court Watch Project officially concluded on April 17, 2019.
First 100 Days Project in Suffolk County
On January 2, 2019, District Attorneys across Massachusetts began a new term in office. We launched a First 100 Days Court Watch Project in Suffolk County to hold the District Attorney's Office accountable for reducing pre-trial detention and addressing racial disparities. Beginning on inauguration day, trained volunteers were in three (and ultimately four) BMC courts every day monitoring how these campaign promises were being carried out and how the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office was complying with recently passed criminal justice reform.
Recognizing that the transition will take time and transformation doesn’t happen overnight, we sought transparency in documenting the pace of change and engaging community in the transformation process. Our presence in court allowed us to celebrate reform successes, support our neighbors, and maintain a public record on progress. We posted specific case examples on twitter (@CourtWatchMA) and released a weekly digest here on our website with stories and findings from arraignment court.
The First 100 Days Court Watch Project focused on prosecutors’ bail recommendations and charging decisions. Every single hour a person spends in detention is harmful and every time cash bail is imposed it can have disastrous consequences without any positive impact on our community. Our hope was that line prosecutors would not only decline to ask for bail but proactively recommend release on personal recognizance, reducing the pressure to plead guilty and eliminating punitive pre-trial detention.
The First One Hundred Days Court Watch Project officially concluded on April 17, 2019.
In the News
Check out some media coverage of the project.
- "Boston Globe Accused of 'Willie Horton' - Style Fear Mongering" | The Appeal
- "Watchdog Group Aims To Bring Transparency To The State's Court System" | WGBH
- "Rachael Rollins, 100 Days In: What Has Changed, And What Hasn't, Under The Reformer DA" | WBUR
- “Rachael Rollins Announces New Prosecutorial Policies in Boston” | The Appeal
- “Rollins rolls out policy changes” | Bay State Banner
- “ACLU wants Suffolk DA Rachael Rollins to make good on her ‘Decline to Prosecute’ pledge” | Mass Live News
- “ACLU criticizes Suffolk DA Rachael Rollins’ prosecutions” | Boston Herald
- “Progressive D.A. Rachael Rollins Hasn’t Stopped Prosecuting Petty Crimes, Despite Pledge. Police Are Still Furious.” | The Intercept
- “Is Suffolk County DA Rachael Rollins Making Good On Her Campaign Promises?” | WGBH News
- “Group documents race disparities in Suffolk County courtrooms” | Bay State Banner
- “Suffolk County D.A. Rachael Rollins’s Office is Still Prosecuting Cases She Pledged to Drop” | The Appeal