Do you recognize the identify of your county’s sheriff? If you’re like 83% of your fellow Massachusetts residents, it’s seemingly you don’t, in line with a newly launched survey by the ACLU of Massachusetts.
“There is a real potential to change how voters view sheriffs and to change how they look at candidates for sheriff, and to increase participation by informing them in that way,” stated Chris Anderson of Beacon Research, who carried out the ballot alongside the ACLU.
The ACLU carried out this analysis in January prematurely of a marketing campaign referred to as “Know Your Sheriff,” with the intent of informing voters in regards to the position sheriffs play within the state’s felony justice system forward of this yr’s election.
The group carried out an identical marketing campaign for district attorneys in 2018, and located notable will increase in ballots solid for DA races: a 16% enhance in ballots solid for DA in Middlesex County, a 35% enhance in Suffolk County, and a 123% enhance in Berkshire County.
Among Beacon Research’s findings this time round, 52% of Bristol County residents knew the identify of their sheriff, Thomas Hodgson, an outspoken Donald Trump supporter who has partnered with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement to determine undocumented immigrants earlier than his contract was stripped final yr.
Results went downhill from there: 33% of Franklin County residents knew their sheriff, and 30% of Hampden County residents knew theirs. Just 8% of residents within the state’s most populous county, Middlesex, knew the identify of their sheriff, and solely 6% of Suffolk County residents knew their sheriff’s identify, the bottom of the teams.
Additionally, 41% of respondents didn’t know that sheriffs are elected and 90% didn’t know that the size of their phrases is six years. Once surveyors shared that sheriffs are accountable for issues together with overseeing county jails, deciding what rehabilitation, substance abuse and academic packages are provided in jails and selecting whether or not to cooperate with ICE, the slice of respondents planning to vote for sheriff jumped from 45% to 71%.
“The 14 sheriffs elected in Massachusetts are elected officials who make decisions every day that impact people and communities, from increasing treatment options for people suffering from substance use disorder to rejecting policies that split families apart,” stated Carol Rose, govt director of ACLU Massachusetts.
Respondents had been additionally requested in regards to the attributes most necessary to them in a sheriff. The most necessary trait was expertise in regulation enforcement, with 84% citing this as “extremely” or “very” necessary. Another 82% stated assist for drug and alcohol rehabilitation packages for incarcerated individuals was “extremely” or “very” necessary, whereas 79% ranked assist for vocational packages as “extremely” or “very” necessary, and 78% stated the identical a couple of dedication to racial justice.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”