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Suffolk County DA releases detailed memo on criminal justice reform

When Rachael Rollins was running for Suffolk County District Attorney, she announced that if elected, her office would decline to prosecute some misdemeanors and low-level felonies.

In her campaign push, Rollins had said she doesn't want to fill jails with people who are non-violent but facing other issues like mental health struggles, substance abuse or poverty.

The stance drew criticism from the National Police Association, but garnered praise from organizations like the ACLU.

On Monday, she released a 65-page memo to her staff -- outlining how she plans to follow through on that campaign promise.

The detailed memo is filled with policy changes as well.

"We start with a presumption that, in most cases, these charges don’t need to be prosecuted," Rollins said. "Dismissal, diversion, treatment, and services are much more often the appropriate outcomes."

The majority of criminal convictions in Suffolk County are from non-violent crimes. The most common, according to the memo, was driving with a suspended license.

Rollins asked her office to identify a list of everyone currently held on bail of $25,000 or less and determine if they should be released.

The memo also details her plan to conduct a full review of all pending Suffolk County appellate case.

"If a case on appeal would have been declined had it started under my administration, then we will take steps to dismiss the appeal," Rollins said.

Boston 25 reached out to the police union in Boston for their reaction as well as reactions from several other organizations, but no response yet. The memo was released late in the day.

 Click here to read the entire memo online.