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Public Defenders Say: "Jobs Not Jails"

May 8, 2014

When hundreds of people rallied on the Boston Common recently calling for "Jobs NOT Jails," public defender Aida Fitzgerald knew she had to be there.

"As a public defender, I see how my clients struggle with getting their lives back on track after being convicted of a crime," said Fitzgerald, a trial attorney at the Roxbury District court office.

[caption id="attachment_4804" align="alignright" width="576"]Public defenders supporting Jobs NOT Jails: Makis Antzoulatos, Christian Williams, Ben Evens, Aida Fitzgerald, Eleni Kalfus, Barusch, Chris Consalves, Carl Williams (ACLU), Josh Raisler-Cohn and Nashwa Gewaily (ACLU).Public defenders supporting Jobs NOT Jails: Makis Antzoulatos, Christian Williams, Ben Evens, Aida Fitzgerald, Eleni Kalfus, Barusch, Chris Consalves, Carl Williams (ACLU), Josh Raisler-Cohn and Nashwa Gewaily (ACLU).[/caption]

The Patrick Administration has estimated that, if current criminal justice policies are not changed dramatically, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will spend $2 billion in the next seven years, to build 10,000 new prison units, and $150 million more each year to fill them.

Fitzgerald and others also say that it's time to eliminate the barriers that make it so difficult for former prisoners to re-enter society. "It's past time we stopped creating more obstacles and started creating more opportunities for the people I serve. As one of the speakers said, 'Lift them up, don't lock them up,'" said Fitzgerald.

SEIU Local 888 is proud to sponsor Jobs NOT Jails.