DA Rollins responds to Baker Administration criticism of criminal justice plan

BOSTON — A criminal justice plan unveiled by Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins is running into criticism from a top state official.

Rollins was elected to the post last year and is seeking ways to curb mass incarceration and racial disparities in the system, in part by declining to prosecute certain drug possession crimes and some other minor crimes.

Massachusetts Secretary of Public Safety and Security Thomas Turco said Thursday that Rollins' proposal could hurt efforts to curtail the opioid crisis and "restrict government's ability to protect victims threatened with serious crimes."

Governor Charlie Baker reiterated Turco's concerns saying, "That's a big step from standard practice and one that we believe will make it harder to prosecute and arrest. What if that person has been in prison for three, four, five years, just got out and commits another one. Are they really not going to consider what happened?"

Rollins fired back at Baker and Turco Friday saying she gave his office a copy of the memo before she released it and reiterated herself that it's what she promised to do in her campaign.

"I'm not going to engage in fear-mongering. I believe that we do have an opioid crisis. I am personally aware of that. I'm a guardian of two of my nieces as a result of it. We are working very hard to make sure people with substance use disorder are getting treatment and not getting out in jail," Rollins said.

Governor Baker's Communications Director, Lizzy Guyton, issued a statement late Friday night.

"The administration does not engage in personal attacks, and raised specific and legitimate public safety concerns that could affect the residents of the Commonwealth. We hope for an ongoing, productive dialogue on the important issues raised by Secretary Turco."

Rollins, the first black woman to serve as DA in the county that includes Boston, said she welcomed Turco's viewpoint but added that voters want the "bold changes" she has proposed.

"As your new DA and the first woman to have this job, it has been very apparent to me that the men that were in this position before me were treated with quite a bit more respect. But I didn't get into this job to make friends. I got into this job to make change," said Rollins.

>> MORE: Suffolk County DA releases detailed memo on criminal justice reform

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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