The primary in Massachusetts is just five weeks away, and voters will start casting their ballots soon (indeed, some already may have). And the general election is only 14 weeks away.
Amidst the many races on the ballot this year, we want to spotlight one that can be too often overlooked: District Attorney.
The office of the DA is critical to implementing criminal legal reform and ending the culture of mass incarceration. It has the power of oversight over the prosecutors and staff who handle cases, as well as having power regarding sentencing decisions which can alter people’s lives. We, as voters, can elect DAs who want to change the system, or ones who seek to entrench it.
That’s why we’re proud to endorse Ricardo Arroyo for Suffolk County DA and Rahsaan Hall for Plymouth County DA. Both received more than 98% of the vote in our recent member poll.
Ricardo Arroyo for Suffolk County DA
Ricardo brings strong first-hand knowledge to the DA’s office from his role as a public defender and as city councilor. As a public defender, he worked to help stabilize and connect people to the resources necessary to give them a chance to break cycles of inequity. As a councilor, he sponsored and passed ordinances to ban the use of facial surveillance technology by the Boston Police Department, increase oversight of surveillance acquisition, create the Office for Police Accountability and Transparency, limit the use of rubber-covered bullets and tear gas by BPD, and declare racism a public health crisis. He is running to continue the reform work of DA Rachael Rollins in ensuring that we are not criminalizing poverty, addiction, and mental illness and approaching the work with a systems perspective and a rigorous commitment to data.
Here’s what some of our members said about Ricardo:
“Having a former public defender as district attorney will speak volumes about as well as actualize Suffolk County’s purported commitment to criminal justice. Ricardo Arroyo has been an excellent Boston City Councillor and it will benefit us all to see him continue this work as DA. “
“Ricardo Arroyo’s vision and plans would be transformative for Suffolk County, advancing the culture of the DA’s Office toward community justice. I’m especially impressed with his plans for mental health and ‘crimmigration’ departments, and his policy and training plans to make the reforms sustainable.”
“We need a person in the DAs office who will prioritize anti-racist work to ensure our criminal legal system advances justice and does not perpetuate racist norms.”
Learn more about Ricardo at https://votearroyo.com/.
Rahsaan Hall for Plymouth County DA
Rahsaan brings an wealth of experience to the DA’s office including his work as an Assistant DA in Suffolk County where he worked intensively with community stakeholders on developing a coordinated public safety agenda. He also worked to advance criminal legal reform and racial equity at Lawyers for Civil Rights and ACLU Massachusetts. Rahsaan led the ACLU’s “What a Difference a DA Makes” public education campaign, where he engaged with residents and community groups on how the DA’s offices can address injustices and use harm reduction approaches to provide true public safety by addressing people’s underlying needs. He is a national leader in understanding what power lies within the DA’s office and how to make the office a force for reform and a holistic vision of public safety.
Here’s what some of our members said about Rahsaan:
“Rahsaan has done an incredible job as the director of ACLU Mass’s racial justice program. What a truly special experience it would be for Plymouth County to see him continue that work as district attorney!”
“Rahsaan Hall has been a state and national leader on legal system reforms that prioritize justice and community safety. Plymouth County needs his vision, experience, and skills!”
“Rahsaan’s work with the ACLU and as an ADA shows his deep commitment to justice.”
Learn more about Rahsaan at https://www.hall4da.com/.
